Welcome To Knotty Girl Exotic Animal Farm, Inc.

Exotic Animals »Flying Squirrel

Flying Squirrel

Flying Squirrel

There are both Northern and Southern Flying Squirrels in the United States. They are not true members of the squirrel family however. They are about eight inches long, including a flat-like tail, which is used for steering when they are gliding. The tail looks normal when not gliding and can be curled like a normal squirrel. They don't actually fly. They glide. About three foot horizontally for every one foot that they fall. They are capable of gliding nearly 150 feet. They can live in captivity for about twelve years. They are mainly nocturnal, which means active at night. Their gliding membranes appear at birth and are basically a flap of skin connecting from the front paw to the rear paw. In the wild, they eat pecans, hickory nuts, walnuts, acorns, wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and whatever fruits and insects they can find. They need to be contained and watched very closely in captivity, as they can be very destructive to anything they can get their teeth on. They require a fairly large area to be kept in. It should definitely be free of electrical wires, insulation, and other materials that would be very dangerous or harmful if chewed on.