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Northern flying squirrel
Glaucomys sabrinus has silky grey and cinnamon brown fur, with white
tipped and grey based belly hairs. Northern flying squirrels have a
furred patagium (fleshy membrane) that extends from the wrist of the
foreleg to the ankles of the hind leg. The tail is furred, flattened,
rounded at the end, and long (80% of the length of the head and
body). Glaucomys sabrinus has large black eyes, which they use for
nighttime activity. Southern flying squirrels, which appear similar
to the northern flying squirrels, can be distinguished because they
are smaller and the hairs on the belly are often white all the way
to the base of the hair.
Island populations exist in areas of high elevation in other parts
of the United States, including the southern Appalachian Mountains,
the Black Hills, and the Sierra Nevada. Most often found in areas
dominated by conifers, northern flying squirrels can also be
relatively abundant in deciduous and mixed coniferous/deciduous
forests. Glaucomys sabrinus has been found in
diverse areas including regions dominated by spruce, fir, and mixed
hemlocks, in beech maple forests, and in areas dominated by white
spruce and birch with interspersed aspen groves. The northern flying
squirrel often nests in conifers 1 -18 meters above the ground. The
nests are made of twigs and bark, and they are softened with
feathers, fur, leaves, and conifer needles.
Reproduction
Courtship begins in March and may continue until late May. One
litter is born per year, and the female raises the young without the
help of the male. Copulation occurs in early spring and is followed
by a gestation period of 37 - 42 days. Usually, 2 -4 young are born,
though litters as small as 1 and as large as 6 have been recorded.
Newborns are poorly developed; they weigh 5 -6 grams, and they have
closed eyes and ears, fused toes, and a cylindrical tail. By the
sixth day the toes are separated, and the eyes open after 31 days.
Young leave the nest at 40 days and are totally weaned after two
months, though they may remain with the mother another month. Flying
squirrels breed in the first summer after their birth.
Young flying squirrels are born helpless and are nursed and cared
for by their mothers until they reach independence.
Behavior
Northern flying squirrels sometimes share nests and may live in
groups of up to 8 adults and juveniles. Individuals of Glaucomys
sabrinus aggregate into single-sex groups for warmth during the
winter. Strictly nocturnal, northern flying squirrels are active for
about two hours beginning an hour after sunset, and again for an
hour and a half to two hours before sunrise. Depending on the
habitat, the home range of northern flying squirrels ranges from 0.8
hectares to 31 hectares. Female northern flying squirrels are
territorial, but males are not. The population density can be as
high as 10 squirrels per hectare in favorable conditions.
Northern flying squirrels emit a soft low chirp, and they cluck when
distressed.
They have excellent senses of hearing, smell, vision, and touch.
Food Habits
Glaucomys sabrinus has a characteristic squirrel diet. They eat
nuts, acorns, fungi, and lichens, supplemented by fruits, buds, sap
and the occasional insect and bird egg. Northern flying squirrels
diverge from many squirrels in that lichens and fungi are a large
portion of the diet and are not just supplements. It is thought that
northern flying squirrels hoard food for the winter, though this has
not been confirmed.
In captivity they should be offered a complete diet of rodent lab blocks,
mushrooms, and bits of fruit or veggies regularly. Cheerios or wheat
bread are great treats, in small quantities. Do NOT feed chocolate,
fried foods, salted foods, candy or junk food! They may enjoy
crickets and mealworms if they are captive bred, never feed wild
insects as they may carry parasites. Vitamins, like Nutri-Cal are a good addition to their diet, and added calcium
during nursing and growth due to demands on their systems at those
times, but take care not to overdo it. Water bottles should be used
to proved constant, clean water. Ceramic or stoneware food dishes
work well for keeping seeds or fresh foods off the floor, and a wire
mesh hopper that allows them to eat the lab blocks through without
extra waste.
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