


It is recommended to include foods rich in calcium and vitamin D3 and limit the intake of phosphorous because this offsets calcium absorption. Since Flying Squirrels are nocturnal creatures and don’t get sunlight, they are prone to calcium deficiency. An 18-ounce bag of Henry’s food blocks costs around $14. Many feed types available in the market are already pre-packaged. They mix it up with fruit, berries, vegetables, healthy cereals, and parrot or monkey biscuits. They also scavenge for insects, birds, eggs, and carrion.Īs pets, many owners feed them with a mixture of sunflower seeds, pellets, pumpkin seeds, and other sources of protein. Wild Flying Squirrels’ diet consists of plants, seeds, nuts, and fruit. For bedding, you can use old t-shirts or shredded newspapers. If you want to make it more personal, you can build one yourself. You can put in tree branches for them to sit or climb on.Ī nest box provides a place for them to sleep. Their teeth will keep growing throughout their lives so provide chewing materials like hard bark and sterilized chew bones. A cage of this quality can range from $150 to $200. Choose a cage with small spaces between the bars to avoid the pets from escaping and possible accidents like being stuck between the slots. Social creatures, they’ll also curl up in nests with up to 20 other flying squirrels to keep warm, in one massive cuddle of cuteness.Tall wire cages are preferred as Flying Squirrels tend to go to higher ground rather than move horizontally. The Northern and Southern Flying Squirrel species in the United States don’t hibernate, but they do snuggle. Flying squirrels don’t hibernate through the winter, but they do slow down their metabolism to conserve resources. They eat a range of foods not just nuts. Flying squirrels are omnivores and eat a range of food including fungi, nuts, berries, seeds, as well as carrion, eggs, slugs, and small birds.

Their enormous eyes help them see in the dark. Being active at night helps them hide from those predators. But their folded patagia prevent them from being as nimble on their feet as non-flying squirrels, which makes them more vulnerable to predators including birds of prey, dogs, and cats. They fly, and stay up at night, to avoid predators. Flying squirrels use their aerial abilities to evade predators, including arboreal snakes. They alight exactly like Batman: They reach toward their landing spot with strong, padded feet that land silently, before their front limbs come down to steady the landing. Their limbs, and their flat rudder-like tail, help them steer and control their leaps. Flying squirrels can also turn nearly 180 degrees in mid-air. “Flights” (which are really glides), of nearly 300 feet (91 meters), have been recorded. They can leap many times their own body length, and can have precision control of their landings. Much like Buzz Lightyear, flying squirrels don’t actually fly they “glide” or fall with style. Flying squirrels have membranes of fur between their arms and legs, called “patagia.” The patagia act as parachutes to slow them in leaps between trees. Here are some of the coolest things about flying squirrels. president and that Soft Cell’s Tainted Love was top of the charts in the UK).Īlthough little is known about the species, like all of its other tree-borne brethren, the Namdapha Flying Squirrel undoubtedly possesses stunning abilities and fascinating habits. One of our top 25 most wanted lost species, it hasn’t been seen for 37 years, since 1981 (the year Ronald Reagan was sworn in as U.S. In India there is a kind of flying squirrel known only from a lone squirrel collected in the Namdapha National Park in the Eastern Himalayas.
