View Full Version : Flying squirrels?
bosborne
01-17-2009, 16:54
I've read that these animals are mostly nocturnal. Has anyone seen any on the AT?
Thanks very much.
At the Riga shelter in CT. there was one that lived in the shelter scared the daylights out of me when it jumped on my bag.
Very cute otherwise..
Yes, I am almost certain that I saw one in PA by the old Bake Oven Knob Shelter. Pretty nasty site, pitched my tent, as it was getting dark and I was settling in, I saw something "fly" from the tree behind my tent down the hill. It was a square/rectangular shape. The next day I ran into two hikers that said they saw a flying squirrel last night. Were camping just a few hundred yards away.
That is my story and I am sticking with it, is in my journal.
Pennsylvania is home to 2 species of flying squirrels. The northern flying squirrel is listed as endangered by PGC. See PGC's press release #131-07 (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=172707&A=11) for the announcement.
Click on Pennsylvania flying squirrels endangered (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_530561.html) for an article published by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in 2007 and PGC's press release #104-04 (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?A=11&Q=162774) for more information.
According to a PGC biologist quoted in the latter press release, southern flying squirrels are more common than gray squirrels in Pennsylvania although they are seen less often.
Jim Adams
01-17-2009, 22:05
Have them in my yard...very cool to watch!
geek
If only we had a photo link or an image in our gallery for those who have never seen a flying squirrel.:-? No, before anyone goes there, Rocky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_J._Squirrel) doesn't count!:D
Serial 07
01-17-2009, 22:43
they often travel with moose...
The only flying squirrel in Pennsylvania to have seen a moose saw some bull on TV.
Downunda
01-17-2009, 23:01
We have Sugar Gliders (small gliding member of the possum family I believe) in Australia. I assume you might have the same over there.
Sugar gliders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Glider) are a common household pet in the United States where they are permitted in all 48 contiguous states except California, but the only native marsupial found near the A.T. is the opossum.
Wise Old Owl
01-18-2009, 00:22
Yup have them in my yard! they are very quiet and stelthy.....
You will never see them in the day. Wonderful Creatures, should you by accident spot one, he has already seen you and as many mammals will freeze and have no motion. I have walked up to them about 2 feet away then they spring and are gone.
Awesome experience.
http://www.batguys.com/contact/images/gal-flying-squirrel.jpg
The Mechanical Man
01-18-2009, 01:19
Cute little buggers, and very smart, ......... they eat at my bird feeder every night.
They also seem to like black oil sunflower seeds, and are so tame we can pet them while they eat.
Jim Adams
01-18-2009, 09:30
Cute little buggers, and very smart, ......... they eat at my bird feeder every night.
They also seem to like black oil sunflower seeds, and are so tame we can pet them while they eat.
Nice photo. The ones in my yard are very active just after dark and tend to hang out in my mulberry tree when it is fruiting.
geek
I'm the temporary custodian of two in a cage. They scamper all over you, allowing capture only when they decide recess is over.
daddytwosticks
01-18-2009, 16:18
Flying squirrels are the critters that usually get into your properly hung food bag at night. They've caused me grief on more than a few occasions! They are cute when not messing w/your grub. :)
One nested inside a bird house I had nailed on a tree in our back yard a few years ago. I was foolish enough to stick my finger in the hole to rub it. It left me bleeding and feeling very intelligent. My wife was real supportive by saying, "serves you right". Wives just don't understand.
Happy hiking. :sun
Ct. Along the Housatonic. Very cool.
They are very tasty. Make sure to make some gravy.
sasquatch2014
01-18-2009, 18:50
I think that I have a few living in the eaves of my house and they like to fly over to the tree right by my stairs going up to the house where the motion sensor light is. I had one of them buzz me about 3 weeks back I could feel the breeze as he passed. I didn't think that we had them here until I saw one earlier this year and my daughter looked it up. Pretty cool.
Am not sure if they head over to Rockland County though. I think they want to avoid the Tapp. lol
"Pull!" - BOOM! (furry clay "pigeons").:D
Oh, come on! - You KNOW I'm kidding. :)
volleypc
01-18-2009, 20:55
I'm the temporary custodian of two in a cage. They scamper all over you, allowing capture only when they decide recess is over.
When I was younger a friend of mine from the humane society called me and said some lady had dropped off a baby flying squirrel she found in her garage and she couldnt keep it there so asked if I would take it. Your right about scampering all over you. I had a tree in my apt next to the cage and would leave the cage open at night when I went to bed so it could fly around and play. Every morning it would work its way into my bedroom about 6 am and would run back and forth from my shoulder to my feet to get me to wake up. After one super long night I was extremely tired and just wanted to stay in bed. After running back and forth several times it decided to take a bite of my heel. It hurt like heck and my natural reaction was to jerk my foot up.. it went flying into the headboard and then you could hear it skimper off back to the cage... It was fine, I was fine.. Super playful things at night. I am sure you already know this, but give it as a pecan as a treat. It would go crazy over those things.
Glebbber
03-20-2009, 00:58
I was camping at a shelter in either TN or NC one night when something flew over about 20 feet above the ground. It was so quite it was like it never happend. someone then asked if anyone else had seen that flying squirrel. So thats what I thought it was. After reading some of theese post now I am thinking it was an owl like I originaly thought. It was a strangley comforting experince though.
OldStormcrow
03-20-2009, 08:48
I used to see them at Tri Corner Shelter in the Smokies. They would glide down from the trees to land on the roof, then they would come boldly into the shelter and assault the food bags (back when we still hung our food in the shelters).
sheepdog
03-20-2009, 08:53
Got a picture of this one at hightop hut
http://crazyabouttv.com/Images/rockyandbullwinkle.jpg
NatureTalk
03-20-2009, 11:32
We have a cage with 5 flyers in our kitchen. They're almost ready for release. They are indeed cute little guys! They love to do back flips, cracks me up.
If you want to meet flyers fanatics, here's a forum:
http://www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/index.php
Haven't seen one on the trail, but VERY close to it. I was riding the chair lift up Bromley mountain in Vermont one winter a few years ago and one of them jumped off of one of the chairlift towers. It was pretty crazy because I couldn't understand why this squirrel was jumping off the tower, but then it just floated to the ground....one of the cooler wildlife sightings I have had for sure :)
Not on the trail but in middle-Tennessee. They are cute, nocturnal and will eat anything. They really love cheezits and peanut butter logs.