The pictures on this page are of Southern Flying Squirrels. These are some photos of actual babies that I got in. These photos may take some time to load, please be patient.

This picture is of some "pinkies" although they do not look pink in this picture. You can see their size by the penny that I placed next to them to give you a point of reference for their size. They are approximately the size of a butterbean. These little guys came to me because some children found them and were playing baseball with them. They did not survive, but at least they were warm, well fed, in a dry place and safe where no one else could hurt them.

This picture is of another group that I got in. They are approximately 5 to 6 weeks of age. They are almost ready to go into a cage, but at this stage they are still in the box that I keep the babies in. Their fur feels just like the finest silk in the world. This group was released back into the wild.

This a picture is of another group that I had. They are shown in one of the cages that I have in my animal room. They stay in this cage until they are moved outside to the aviary. I have to see that they are eating well on their own and able to get in and out of the nest box that I have in the cage for them. This is usually around 12 weeks of age, but it depends on how well the group does. I have to watch each group and evaluate the individuals to determine how they are doing. I never release anything just based on age as all of them do not mature at the same rate.

Flying Squirrel Sounds:

Chipping Sound WAV  RealAudio
Chittering Sound WAV  RealAudio

Sound recordings copyright Lang Elliott
NatureSound Studio

The photos that follow are photographs that Kate Boykin, a photographer in Raleigh, NC, took in her yard. These photos are copyrighted and are used here with her permission.

The flying squirrels do not actually "fly", they glide thru the air. The flap of skin that goes from their front legs to their back legs enable them to "glide" from tree to tree. They also use their tails as rudders to control their direction. They also have some VERY sharp teeth. The worse bite I ever received was from a flying squirrel, their little sharp teeth went all the way to the bone of my finger.

You may never see these little guys as they are nocturnal, meaning they only come out at night. They will come to your bird feeders to eat at night. They also love the corn on the cob that you put out for squirrels and they also love peanut butter. I take peanut butter and spread it on the side of the trees that I know they visit the feeders on, and they come down the tree and feed on the sunflower seeds and get some peanut butter too. They also eat some small insects. NOTE: These foods should NEVER be given to a flying squirrel as a steady diet, these are just treats for the ones in the wild. They have a real varied diet which I will not go into all of it here, but these are just a few of the things that you can put out in your yard that will attract the flying squirrels.

If you are ever out at night and hear a high pitched "beeping" noise, that is the flying squirrels talking to each other. Some people may not be able to hear them, my husband cannot hear them. Don't get their sound confused with the tree frogs that you may hear at night.

Some flying squirrels may nest in your Blue Bird boxes. Be forewarned, if there is a mother nesting in your Blue Bird box, never open the box as she will fly out and get in your face. They are very defensive of their babies and will go after you if they are disturbed. They will also move their babies to another place if they are disturbed.

Southern Flying Squirrels mate in February and March and have their babies in April and May in my area of the United States. They may also breed in late May through July. April through May is usually the time of year that we get the babies in. Their gestation period is about 40 days and they will give birth to usually three to four hairless and blind babies that are about the size of a butterbean. They normally stay with their moms for about 12 weeks, but may stay with her until the birth of her next litter.

Do not get these little guys confused with the Sugar Gliders. These are not native to the United States, they come from Australia. I hope that you have learned a little about the Southern Flying Squirrels. Most people never get the opportunity to see them and hope that the pictures have helped you to learn what they look like.

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