Glaucomys volans

photo credit: Northwoods Stewardship Center

ID

  • Belly hair is white to the base, toes are white in winter
  • Somewhat grayer than the Northern Flying Squirrel
  • Dorsoventrally flattened tail (Whittaker)

Distribution

 Credit: Smithsonian Institution

Reproduction

  • Breeding season starts in late February or early March
  • Testes of the males are abdominal from August to November, but are scrotal by mid-January
  • Female squirrels are estrous for one day, and males will congregate around her and compete for reproductive rights
  • Gestation takes 41 days and litters usually consist of two to seven young (Whitaker)

Behavior

  • Nocturnal
  • Spends a great deal of time foraging for food on the ground, though we tend to consider it a more arboreal species
  • Does not hibernate, but will gather in groups and snuggle in a ball for warmth
  • pend time exploring their area of residence to know all escape routes and hiding holes to avoid predation (Whitaker)

Food Habits

  • Nuts (hickory, acorn) , seeds, berries (juneberries, blackberries, and mulberries), fungi, bark, green buds, insects, spiders, slugs, and some invertebrates (Whitaker)

Size/Life Cycle

  • Average measurements: 228 mm (total length), 100 mm (tail), 31 mm (hind foot), 63 g (total weight) (Whitaker)

Predators

  • Owls, house cats, climbing snakes (Whitaker)
  • Open containers of liquids and barbed wire fences are also hazards for the flying squirrel (Whitaker)

Habitat

  • Deciduous and mixed woodland (Whitaker)