Southern Flying Squirrel

Southern flying squirrels have grey-brown fur on top with darker flanks and are a cream colored underneath. They have large dark eyes and flattened tails. They have a furry membrane called a patagium that extends from the front to the rear legs and is used to glide through the air. Total length (including tail) is 21–26 cm (8.3–10.2 in). The tail can be 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in). They are nocturnal and feed on fruits and nuts from trees such as red and white oak, hickory, and beech. They store food, especially acorns, for winter consumption. They also dine on insects, buds, mushrooms, mycorrhizal fungi, carrion, bird eggs, nestlings, and flowers. Their predators include snakes, owls, hawks, and raccoons. Domestic cats can also be potential predators. Both in the wild and in captivity, they can produce two litters of young each year (with 2–7 young per litter). The gestation period is approximately 40 days. Young are born without fur or any capabilities of their own. Their ears open at 2 to 6 days old, and fur grows in by 7 days. Their eyes do not open until they are 24–30 days old. Mothers wean their young 65 days after they are born. The young then become fully independent at around 120 days of age. Southern flying squirrels show substantial homing abilities and can return to their nests if artificially removed to distances of up to a kilometer. …

The southern flying squirrel is found in eastern deciduous forests or mixed forests of North America. Large hickory and beech trees are more abundant in intensively used areas of their home ranges. Also, maple and poplar, as well as oak trees, make favorable habitats. Although southern flying squirrels may be present in heavily wooded suburban regions, they never occur in large numbers in these areas. The size of the home range of southern flying squirrels varies greatly. Average home range estimates are 2.45 hectares (6.1 acres), 9 ha (22 acres), and 16 ha (40 acres) for adult males, 1.95 ha (4.8 acres), 3.9 ha (9.6 acres), and 7.2 ha (18 acres) for adult females, and 0.61 ha (1.5 acres) for juveniles. Significant overlap exists among the home ranges. Near the northern limit of the southern flying squirrels distribution, home range increases in size as mast-producing trees become more dispersed. This trend is also observed in fragmented forests where nesting and foraging areas become widely spaced. Home range is larger in males than females possibly to increase the chance of encountering potential mates. …

Southern flying squirrels are highly social mammals and have been observed flying and foraging together in large groups. Additionally, they often aggregate together in dens, especially as seasonal temperatures decline in order to conserve energy. Compared to individuals who nest alone in winter, squirrels in aggregates can save 30 percent more energy. Although southern flying squirrels do show a preference for relatedness, they are tolerant of nonrelated but familiar individuals, possibly because in addition to providing heat energy for the aggregation, outsiders will promote outbreeding. However, in the summer months, they tend to forage and cache alone in their home range. Muul stated that communal nesting may be detrimental during warm weather and is unnecessary in the southern parts of the species range. However, Layne and Raymond observed nest boxes in Florida and discovered that the southern populations also nest in large groups (up to 25 individuals) and that, compared to northern populations, the period of elevated communal nesting extended later in the spring. In this study, nest temperatures occasionally exceeded 38 °C (100 °F) while the normal body temperature of southern flying squirrels varies between 36.3 and 38.9 °C (97.3 and 102.0 °F). …

Richmond Flying Squirrels - Eastern League affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. This Virginia-based team draws its name, logo, and mascot from the southern flying squirrel. The video games Pokémon Black and White take place in the Unova region (based on the eastern United States) and contain Emolga, an Electric/Flying type Pokémon based on the southern flying squirrel. The animated television series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends features the anthropomorphic flying squirrel Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel. The animated film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland features a flying squirrel named Icarus who is Nemo's pet.