They go mostly unseen because they’re nocturnal, unlike their Gray Squirrel counterparts, and the cover of darkness camouflages them well. If your local ecosystem has a fair amount of old-growth trees, it’s likely that you also have Flying Squirrels in your backyard. There’s the Northern Flying Squirrel in Canada and the upper parts of the United States, the Southern Flying Squirrel in the American Southeast, and the Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel which was identified as a species in 2017 and much is still unknown about it, including its natural habitat. There are only 3 species of Flying Squirrel native to the New WorldĮven though these species span over a wide area with a wide range of habitats, there are only three compared to the 40 in Asia. image: MimiMiaPhotography | Wikimedia Commons | CC 4.0 9. There are many exquisitely preserved fossils of species that are ancestors to the modern Flying Squirrel that had wing-like sheets of skin stretched from their cheeks to their legs and tails. These are some of the most primitive mammals that still exist today. Flying Squirrels have been around for roughly 160 million years You may also like: Do Coffee Grounds Keep Squirrels Away? 8. It’s believed that the dense forests that were on there during glacial periods protected the Flying Squirrels that made their homes in the large trees, leading to lots of diversification to fill all niches of their environment. Of all 43 known species of Flying Squirrel, 40 of them reside in the Asian continent. Wild flying squirrels can be found on three continents – North America, South America, and Asia. 90% of all Flying Squirrel species exist only in Asia Their strong limbs paired with a fluffy tail and powerful patagia muscles can even allow them to pull off semi-circles in a single glide and completely reverse their direction. It uses all of its limbs as a sort of rudder to guide the fall. They can make 180 degree turns in mid air Even the largest Red Giant Flying Squirrel, which grows nearly three feet long, is still able to travel this distance. However, when needed, this squirrel can glide up to 300 feet, AKA the length of a soccer field. It’s no surprise that one of the most interesting facts about Flying Squirrels is that on average, they can glide approximately 65 feet (the length of a bowling lane) from tree to tree. image: Ken Thomas | Southern Flying Squirrel | Wikimedia Commons 5. This extra finger allows them to stretch the patagia farther than it would with just their tiny arms and thereby catch more air and glide further and smoother. Flying Squirrels have an extra fingerĪttached to their patagia, Flying Squirrels have a wrist spur that extends out when their “wings” are spread. These flaps catch air as the squirrel falls, which allows it to gently glide to its next destination rather than falling to the forest floor. Their “wings” are called patagiaĪ Flying Squirrel has a furry, parachute-like membrane between their front and back limbs. It could be for a multitude of reasons, from avoiding predators at night to communication to the ability to navigate snowy terrain. We still aren’t entirely sure why they do this. They glow an almost neon pink, with the colors more vibrant on their undersides. Only recently have scientists discovered that Flying Squirrels glow under ultraviolet light. ![]() These large eyes make them especially adorable to humans, and their gigantic pupils make them appear almost entirely black. Having large eyes allows them to collect more light – an adaptation shared by many other nocturnal animals such as owls and lemurs. ![]() They have giant eyes designed for night visionįlying squirrels are nocturnal animals, meaning they’re active mainly at night. 25 Cool Facts about Flying Squirrels image: 1. To better understand this intriguing animal, here are 25 interesting facts about flying squirrels and why they’re the neatest animal you may not have known was in your backyard. Bats may be the only mammal that truly flies, but flying squirrels do have the unique ability to sail from tree to tree on a special membrane between each front and back limb. Flying squirrels are some of the most spectacular, and secretive, squirrels on Earth.
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