After spending much of last week learning about ocean animals, we are going to mix things up as we begin another week. Instead of swimming, we will be heading to the trees….or flying from tree to tree. No, we are not looking at a monkey but the impressive Northern Flying Squirrel. This North American squirrel can be found throughout much of Canada and into the United States, as far south as North Carolina. There are a couple of sub-species found in the Southern Appalachian mountains, which are both considered to be endangered, however, we are going to talk about the Northern Flying Squirrel in general terms, instead of focusing on all the fun sub-species.

What is a Northern Flying Squirrel?

Well, they are a nocturnal rodent that loves to live in trees. I am not sure if they enjoy being described like this as they are so much more than just a rodent but it does paint a pretty accurate picture of our featured animal. These little squirrels also have a thick, brown coloured fur coat, with large eyes, long whiskers and a flat tail. The large eyes and long whiskers are typical features of nocturnal animals as

both will help them manoeuvre in the darkness of the night. The flat tail on the other hand plays a major role in steering our flying friend, which brings us to our next question.

Can the Flying Squirrel Really Fly?

Well, it depends on your definition of flying. Our squirrel friend doesn’t “fly” in the sense of a bird or a bat but they are capable of gliding up to a distance of 45 m (147.6 feet). This is the extreme though as the Northern Flying Squirrel will typically glide between 5 and 25 meters (16 – 82 feet). This flying feat is made possible by a membrane, known as the patagium, extending from their front to their rear leg and although, it gives these squirrels an eerie appearance, it does work very well in carrying them long distances. Maybe it is just me but I would definitely put up with having a thin, furry membrane extending from my arm to my leg if it meant I could glide through the air.