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Key Information

Flying Squirrels

Species 50 species
Diet Herbivore
Length 3 inches to 2 ft
Weight 3.5 oz to 5.5 lb
Lifespan 5 years
Classification Mammalia > Rodentia > Sciurinae > Pteromyini
Conservation Status Various
Habitat Often forests and woodlands

Learning Point

  • Famous as being able to “fly“, flying squirrels are a species of squirrel designed to move between trees by gliding. The way they glide has inspired humans to develop suits that let us glide in a similar way.

Project

  • Draw a picture of a flying squirrel gliding between the trees.
  • Overview
  • X-Ray
Chinese Flying Squirrel
lonelyshrimp, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Skeleton of a Flying Squirrel
Bj.schoenmakers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Location

Places North & Central America, Asia, northeast Europe (Map shows Southern Flying Squirrel)

Fun Facts

  • The three species of North American flying squirrels are known to have a fluorescence, though no one knows why.
  • They steer using their limbs (hands and legs) and their tails.
  • There are some species of prehistoric flying squirrels.
  • They don’t fly, but instead glide between locations.

Past Lessons

108 December 13, 2023 (North America)
No Past Lessons

Upcoming Lessons

No Upcoming Lessons