Species: Glaucomys sabrinus
Northern Flying Squirrel
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Sciuridae
Genus
Glaucomys
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
grand polatouche
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Rodents
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae - Glaucomys - into multiple species.
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false - home ranges of up to 35 ha. Summer home range estimated at 2-3 ha in North Carolina, 5-7 ha in West Virginia (Austin et al., no date). Home range has been estimated at about 3-7 ha and 5-13 ha in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, respectively (see Witt 1992). In western Oregon, home range was estimated at about 3-5 ha (Witt 1992).
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Diet consists largely of fungi and lichens plus plant and animal material (insects, nuts, buds, seeds, fruit). Apparently can subsist on lichens and fungi for extended periods, and may depend on having these food items available (A91HAN02NA). Spends considerable time foraging on the ground.
Reproduction Comments
Breeding season: February-May; July. Gestation lasts 37-42 days. One or two litters of 2-6 young (average 4-5) are born March-early July, and late August to early September (apparently one litter in spring or summer in the southern Appalachians). Weaned at about 2 months. Sexually mature at 6-12 months.
Ecology Comments
Highly social, especially in winter when nests may be shared. Apparently lives in family groups of adults and juveniles. <br><br>In western Oregon, population density was 0-0.24/ha (mean 0.12) in second growth forest and 0.52-1.28/ha (mean 0.85) in old-growth forest (Witt 1992). Density averaged 2.0-2.3/ha in Douglas-fir habitats in western Oregon (Rosenberg and Anthony 1992). In Utah, density was 0.2-1.8/ha in POPULUS-dominated forest, 1.2-5.8/ha in ABIES-dominated forest, and 0.2-2.1/ha in PICEA-dominated forest (see Witt 1992). Sciurid mycophagy may play an important role in forest ecology (Maser and Maser 1988).
Length
37
Weight
125
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-06
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-06
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S4&CA.BC=S5&CA.LB=S5&CA.MB=S5&CA.NB=S5&CA.NT=S4&CA.NS=S5&CA.ON=S5&CA.PE=S4&CA.QC=S4&CA.SK=S5&CA.YT=S4&US.AK=S4&US.CA=SNR&US.ID=S4&US.ME=S5&US.MA=S2&US.MI=S5&US.MN=SNR&US.MT=S4&US.NV=S3&US.NH=S5&US.NJ=SU&US.NY=S5&US.NC=S2&US.ND=SNR&US.OH=SNR&US.OR=S4&US.PA=SU&US.SD=S2&US.TN=SNR&US.UT=S3&US.VT=S4&US.VA=S1&US.WA=S4&US.WV=S2&US.WI=S3&US.WY=S4" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - Occurs from Alaska through most of Canada, southward to the mountains of southern California, southern Rocky Mountains, western South Dakota, Great Lakes Region, and southern Appalachians.
Global Range Code
H
Global Range Description
>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)