Flying Squirrel Rescue

March  2005 We saved a flying Squirrel from the depths of despair... and the jaws of a cat!

This is Curtis, the flying squirrel we saved from sudden death.

We made him a little habitat.

We had to wait and see if he had any injuries.

(Glaucomys sabrinus) or commonly known as Northern Flying Squirrels can not actually fly. They have a loose fold of skin that stretches between their front and hind legs and enables them to glide as they leap into the air from branch to branch.

Text paraphrased from NFS and CFS

Their hands and feet enable them to cling on to smaller branches

Notice the big round eyes. This is for effective night vision because these squirrels are nocturnal. Most flying squirrels don't live longer than four years mostly due to their many predators. These include native wildlife such as owls, hawks, martens, and weasels. Cats are now a serious predator to these squirrels. Our cat is what almost caught Curtis.

He likes his nesting box and sleeps soundly in there all day.

Northern Flying Squirrels have broad flatten tails. Their fur on their back is a cinnamon brown and on their bellies is white. Their fur is very soft too. It's hard to tell them apart from their cousins the Southern Flying Squirrels which many people keep as pets.

He will come out to explore.

It is rare to even see a Flying Squirrel during the daylight. I bet you are wondering how we were able to rescue this little guy.  He was clinging on to our front door very early in the morning with our all white cat sitting just below. She may have flushed him out of his den under the porch and he ran for his life in the deep new snow. With a pair of gloves we carefully removed the little critter to safety. He was stunned and shocked by the whole event.

This is Anakin, our cat who almost caught Curtis.

Tamed, flying squirrels make great pets. To tame them, you need to get a bonding pouch and carrying them around with you.

Flying squirrels are active all year round and are very sociable. They will feed and den together, especially during cold weather and harsh winters.  Nesting sites are another important consideration in the protection of flying squirrel habitat. If you live in a forested area like we do, you can help flying squirrels by building nesting boxes for them. We will put this one out for Curtis when he is released.

He seems uninjured by the cat.

Flying squirrels will store their food in dens for the winter. They will eat acorns, nuts, seeds, berries, blossoms, mushrooms, moths, beetles, and small birds and their eggs.

You can see the underside of his belly.

It's amazing to see them leap into the air and sail down to their landing spot. They almost always land on their feet and then scamper off to the nearest tree.

This is a great close up of his face and hands.

Curtis will be released shortly but we thought it wouldn't hurt to keep him safe from our 4 cats for a day or two incase he has any injuries. He'll have a better chance of escape if he is healthy.

He enjoyed exploring our fake trees.

Look at his size next to a teddy bear and guitar neck.

To learn more about Flying Squirrels please visit Glaucomys.org It's a website that features facts and photos from their research project.

Curtis is hiding.

Even we lost sight of him! Can you find him?

Curtis liked to explore in the bathroom.

He easily climbed up the door frames.

But he especially liked the comforts of the little home we made for him.

His favorite spot to curl up was in his feeding dish.

Curtis is going to be released back into his pine forest today.

We hang up his nesting box in a tree. The cage is ready for him to run out.

Justin and his friends are excited to release Curtis back into his natural habitat.

There he goes! Bottom right corner, running on the ground.

Up the tree and perching safely on a branch. Good luck Curtis, we'll keep an eye out for you in the dark of the night.

This was a great rescue!  We have rescued many little critters in our area. It brings us alot of joy to share our environment with these forest animals.  One of the best authors of written works about animals and forest creatures is Thornton W. Burgess. Author of The Old Mother West Wind Series which will endure in our hearts forever.

All photos on this page are copyright property of ©Bluegoatz 2005 Please contact your local wildlife division for rescue information.

In flight

This photo belongs to  Photo Researchers, Inc./Nick

See video of a Flying Squirrel in flight and also hear the sounds they make here!

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