BBC_Earth_UK_-_January_2017

Anatomy of...

The flying squirrel

Flying the nest

They breed twice a year –

in early spring and summer

• and the gestation period is
  about 40 days. Litter sizes vary
  from two to seven and the
  young are blind, naked and are
  suckled by their mother. They
  grow quickly however, and by
  10 weeks are gliding and
  ready to leave the nest. They
  live for five to eight years in
  the wild, longer in captivity.

Creature comfort

Flying squirrels are highly

sociable, with groups of up

to 20 in the same nest (often

moving into nests abandoned

by woodpeckers). In colder

climes, they don’t hibernate,

but huddle together for

warmth and live on food

they’ve stored.

Did you

know?

Wings

It is the patagium,

a parachute-like membranous

structure that stretches from

wrist to ankle, that enables

them to glide. A cartilaginous

rod that extends from the

wrist to the neck supports the

front of the ‘wing’.

Tail and paws

The long, flattened tail

provides stability. The

squirrels are able to steer and

control their glide path using

their limbs and their tail. Their

thick paws help to cushion

their landings.

Fur
They generally have
silky-soft, brown or grey
fur and a white stomach,
although there is a
breed of giant red flying
squirrels. Males and
females look very similar.

Photographs: Alamy, Nature Picture Library, iStock