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Southern Flying Squirrel

American Flying Squirrel

Family: Sciuridae"Tinkerbell"Glaucomys volansPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Kym Johnson

   These intriguing little squirrels have a large fold of furred skin stretching from their forefeet to their hind feet which they spread out like a parachute and glide from tree branch to tree branch, thus their name "flying squirrel"!

   The Southern Flying Squirrel or American Flying Squirrel is the squirrel most commonly found available in the U.S. pet trade. They are the littlest of the squirrel species with only a 3-4 inch long body. Their tiny size, along with a natural tendency to want to rustle around or even snuggle up and sleep in your pocket, makes the Flying Squirrel a perfect "pocket pet".

   At first, Flying Squirrels are very shy when meeting new people. A young squirrel that has been raised in captivity or taken from its mother at weaning time will accept handling the easiest.

   Flying Squirrels are nocturnal so after sleeping all day, these little fellows will be very playful and full of energy from dusk to dawn. To keep their muscles strong they not only need places to play, but need a regular opportunity to glide. Putting your pet up on a high shelf and letting it glide back to you will be rewarding for both of you!

For more information about the care of Flying Squirrels see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Squirrel

Geographic Distribution Glaucomys volans Data provided by GBIF.org Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae

Scientific name: Glaucomys volans

Background:    Southern Flying Squirrels are found mostly in the Eastern part of North America, inhabiting parts of Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Description:
   Southern Flying Squirrels or American Flying Squirrels are just 7-8 inches long (with 4" of that being the tail), and they weigh just 3 ounces when fully grown.
   Flying Squirrels have a furred membrane of skin that stretches from their forefeet to their hind feet which allows them to glide from tree branch to tree branch, thus their name "flying squirrel",
   Their fur is silky and has soft dense undercoat. Their overall appearance of their fur is mostly rusty-brown or grayish-red, with a lightly colored underbelly. But upon close inspection the hair is a actually a mixture of several colors including gray, red, and beige, and there is a soft gray undercoat.
   They rest in the hollows of trees during the daytime, and will search the treetops for food after dark. Their natural foods consist of insects, birds' eggs, nuts and various kinds of fruits.
   They not only have 20 regular teeth, but like all rodents, they have sharp incisors that continually grow, and will need hard chews to keep them worn down.
   The female will produce a litter of three to six young twice a year.

Interesting Facts:    - The furred membrane of skin they can stretch out parachute like,enables
      them to glide for long distances through tall trees - sometimes up to160
      feet! They often make sharp turns just before landing.
   - Flying Squirrels are nocturnal, meaning that they sleep during the day and
      are active at night. This means they have to watch out for night predators,
      such as owls.
   - They live in very tall trees since their primary means of traveling is by
      gliding, and they are awkward on the ground. They don't have to worry
      about ground predators, but they do have to be wary of such animals as
      hawks.
   - With their natural instinct being to save up foods for the winter, they are very
      active hoarders. Make sure to check their nest regularly to discard any
      perishables!
   - Besides needing to chew regularly to keep their incisors trim, Flying
      Squirrels need extra calcium. Sterilized bones and pieces of deer antler
      work great for both these needs.

Dr. Jungle chuckles...."wow Tinkerbell sure livens up her new family's life!
"This was her first Christmas. My husband and I love her just like a daughter. She is so cute! Tinkerbell loves to play on our curtains in the living room, coming down to play with us or see if we have something to eat!"	Tinkerbell is a female Southern Flying Squirrel. "One of her favorite foods is sugar snap peas. Of course she also loves cashews, pecans and whole un-shelled peanuts. Tinkerbell has a ferret sized wheel in her cage which she runs in at night while we are asleep. Recently she likes to play this game in the living room where she climbs up high on the curtains and "flys" to me. We do this over and over again. She never gets tired!! When she gets bored she will climb inside my shirt and nip at me until I play with her. We just love her so much! My life would be so boring without her. I can't believe how lucky we are to have her."...Kym Johnson
Photos Courtesy: Kym Johnson

Author: Jasmine Brough

Lastest Comments on Southern Flying Squirrel View all 63 comments on Southern Flying Squirrel Add Your Comment

Sandra Stephenson - 2012-05-20 I have a flying squirrel i think she is a little over a year old my daughter brought her home when she was just maybe 2 weeks old and she is doing great but i am concerned about her front teethe growing to long . Can they be trimmed or what do i do ? Also how long do they live in captivity ? Charlie Roche - 2012-05-20 In the wild it is said to be about 6 years and I would think it would be at least that in captivity. For the teeth - you can get a hard chew toy--- lava rock bird toy, dog bone, soup bone (boil it) usually knuckle bones at grocery store. Something hard for it to chew on and it will wear her teeth down. Vet can also probably sand them down but i don't think she will like it. Reply

c. Dupre - 2012-05-06 I have had a flying squirrel living in our bedroom for six months. Every night he hangs on the smoke detector and goes into the ceiling fan. We have had glue traps, snap traps, regular traps out and cannot catch it. What else can we do, We had several more, but they are gone. Just one left. I cannot seem to get it. Any suggestions? Do not like sharing the bedroom with it. Charlie Roche - 2012-05-06 Purchase a bird net at the pet store - a large one. When the squireel is just hanging out throw a balled up newspaper close to it. The squireel will move and you should be able to catch it easily with a bird net. Try practicing with a tennis ball or the balled up newspaper first. Reply

Shelley - 2011-01-08 Does anyone know where I might get a couple of flying squirrels in Eastern NC? I would love a pair that maybe the wildlife refuge have found that they can't release back into the wild and need a permanent home. Thanks! Ali - 2011-01-22 Hi! Have you tried Craigslist.com you can find just about anything on that site and enter the state when you get on craigslist.com to get better help. Best of Blessings on your journey. j - 2012-04-21 Technically, keeping a Flyer as a pet in NC is illegal, so you might have to look out of state. (I found this out when mine showed up before her eyes were open and I could not get in touch with anyone to rehab for release. Now she's part of my odd little family. I figure the squirrel won't be knocking on doors anyway. lol) Reply

victoria - 2009-11-02 Hi all you Flyer Lovers! I'm a wildlife rehabber on the east coast and have been for 13 years. It was interesting reading your comments on this website. As a matter of opinion I'd like to say that while I am an advocate of releasing back to the wild any animals that we can help, I also advocate captivity in certain circumstances. My only trouble after all these years, is the failure of some folks to get educated on keeping wild animals and their lack of commentment to keeping that animal for the duration of its life. Even though most wild animals can be somewhat humanized, they will still stay wild to a certain degree. It takes many centuries to fully tame a species. However I have found that my little flyers do so well in captivity that its plain to see why they make good pets. So I know what its like to want to keep them and also know how to set them free. As long as a person is willing to provide everything these animals need, then I feel they are much better to have as pets in the U.S.A. than some exotic species from other countries that doesn't have any business being here. They make great pets and all animals were wild at some point as one of you have said. joann - 2010-02-20 I totally agree, with you Victoria, I personally think if the animal can be released and survive, that it should be...after all the wild is what they know, and I feel they should be free...I watch them in my back yard every night and enjoy them very much...just watching them be free... joann liesa - 2010-03-25 How do you apply to be a wildlife rehibilator, I live in the country and have room. I would love to do something like this? Christi Maude - 2010-10-29 We found a flying squirrel in woods 10 days ago and have kept him in a large cage and fed him properly, played with him morning and evening. He is very sweet. However, I feel very guilty and feel maybe we have done him a disservice. How can I release him properly? Do I just release him right where we found him or what? We live in Md. and I found out it is illegal to keep him here. Ashley - 2010-11-01 Is keeping one legal in Onslow county North Carolina? Shelley - 2011-01-08 Hi Victoria! I am also in Eastern NC and would love to know if you guys ever get flying squirrels in that can't be released to the wild? I would love to offer some a home if needed. I am an avid animal lover and have hand-raised several parrots and would love to offer help to these special little guys/gals. :) Please, contact me if this is a possibility. April - 2011-06-22 Since you say you are a rehabber, I was wondering if you'd be interested in having a baby flying squirrel. He's around 4 months old. I believe I have 2 females and one male. One of the females is 8 inches and the other is the 4 month old sibling of the male. I really need to get rid of the male or I'm going to have more squirrels than I can handle. I just can't bring myself to release them. They are the best little things. I am in Tennessee. Please let me know....or if you have any suggestions. Thanks. Reply

Debbie Tsikuris - 2009-10-15 We found an approx. 5 week old flying squirrel 10/9/09, and after reading up on them did our best to care for him. The local wild life authority said we could keep him. He was doing great(on low fat milk), but after I started him on formula from a local pet store he died. We are broken hearted. We had bonded with him so quickly I feel awful that maybe I did something wrong. When he was on the milk he was looking much better than when we had first found him. Don't know what I did wrong, but know I saved him from all of the hawks, owls, etc. we have around. Would love another one, reading more about them all of the time. Thank you for your wonderful web page. debbie Wild Life Rehabber - 2010-10-29 Debbie, I am a wild life rehabber and we NEVER feed any wild animals cows milk because it is too hard for them to digest (MANY fawn we have taken in have died because the person who found them had them on cows milk) try organic goats milk if you have to use grocery store items until you can get to a pet store. We feed the flying squirrels we rescue puppy milk, either Fox Valley or Esbilac. They need fat in their diet, temperature of the milk is important and if you are syringe feeding them let them have up to 3cc. Put nuts and Cheerios in the cage so they can start "shredding" they do this before they start eating solids. I would say good luck if you get another one but I would also suggest that you try to find it a partner and release them in your back yard. They are wild life and LOVE to jump and play in ways they cannot in a cage of any size. Just my opinion of course. J Blue - 2011-03-04 Until they open their eyes (around 5-6 weeks), as well as the immediate weeks following the babies should be fed a combination of SCALDED WHOLE MILK (they need the fat) mixed with plain yogurt which stabilizes their intestinal tracks as well as their bowels. I found that a 1cc syringe pushed very slowly to work the best. After they open their eyes and it becomes obvious that their teeth are beginning to grow you may offer them mashed banana and natural applesauce. Even as you cut back or delete the syringe feedings you should continue to offer the milk mixture for at least 6 more weeks as they need the calcium and vitamin D. At this point you may began mixing the banana, applesauce or even peanut butter to the milk/yogurt mixture. You may also begin offering different nuts and vegetables as you notice the teeth developing more. Everyone I have consulted with agrees that the commercial "mothers substitute milk" usually esibilac or kitten milk is consistently ineffective for sustaining the baby flying squirrels. My heart goes out to you in your loss; hopefully God will place another unfortunate nocturnal angel into you care and you will have the opportunity to rehabilitate and release them. It is unkind to keep them in captivity unless special situations apply, such injury or illness that causes a handicap that would impede and prevent them from adapting and surviving on their own. Brenda - 2011-05-23 I also am a rehabber. Our education says that Esbilac must be simmered with ground nuts (walnuts/pecans...) then strained to remove the nuts. They need the oil from the nuts. Never use cows milk and it should be the puppy Esbilac. Reply

Krissy - 2010-06-25 I want a pet squirrel but I don't where to get them...or how much they cost. Kayley - 2010-10-24 Go to helens little critters...that's where I'm getting mine, I paid 65 dollars for mine (: hunter smith - 2010-12-19 Most flying squirrels I see are around $150 and try http://www.helenslittlecritters.com/index.htm this is where I'm gonna get mine when I get the money and cage and stuff for it if you have anymore questions you can email me if you want at fluffymonkey69@gmail.com I know it's a weird email my friend made it for me and I just went with it. carlos - 2011-03-07 I have a pair of flying Squirrels and want to get rid of them.. I'm asking $250. Zac - 2011-06-25 I will buy one of those for $100 please. Anonymous - 2012-02-11 I found this great place in Yorksville, Illinois. Its called PETS ONE. They had some really cute ones and were cheap too. Reply

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