The pictures on this page are of Northern Flying Squirrels that were photographed on Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada.

The photos and information on this page were sent to me by and are copyrighted by him. Please do not use the photos or information without his permission.

Many thanks to Steve for these photos and all of the information on this page, because without him, this page would not have been possible. These photos may take some time to load, please be patient.

This picture is of a young Northern Flying Squirrel. Below are some pictures that were taken in the wild of adult Northern Flying Squirrels along with some information about them that Steve was nice enough to share.

Northerns and Southerns share the same Genus (Glaucomys) and many characteristics, to a degree. As you know, Glaucomys is Greek for "grey mouse." The species name for Southern is volans, which is Latin for "flying." The species name for Northern is sabrinus, which means "river nymph" in Latin. This refers to the environment where the Northern was first identified - on the Severn River on the west coast of Hudson Bay. Very little research has been conducted on the Northern, compared to the amount conducted on the Southerns, which is listed as "vulnerable" in Canada, as there are limited numbers in its remaining habitat.

Interesting facts distinguishing the two species:

• The Northern is roughly 50 percent larger than the Southern.
• The Northerns' belly fur is lead-colored at the base, the Southerns' is pale to the root.
• The Northern generally prefers coniferous forests, the Southern prefers deciduous forests.
• The Northern male will often stay with his mate during and after breeding.
• The Northerns produce only one litter per year, Southerns two (unless at the northern part of their range).

The Northern has a liking for "truffles", or more correctly "mycorrhizae" or "hypogeous sporocarps." Some research has shown a beneficial relationship between Northerns and the coniferous trees that they so depend upon.

The Northerns dig up and eat the underground fungi, which have a symbiotic relationship with the trees. The mychorrhizae produce enzymes that enable it to feed on carbon sources from the tree. In turn, bacteria associated with the mycorrhizae capture nitrogen from the air and make it available to the tree root. The mycorrhizae also offer a sort of biotic shield against pathogens which cause plant diseases.

After the sporocarps are eaten by the squirrel, the fungal tissue is digested, moved along to the small intestine where they are absorbed, and finally move on into the cecum where they are concentrated and mixed.

The sporocarps are later released as pellets, after spending more than a month in the body. The excreted pellets contain fungal spores, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and yeast - which spreads the beneficial mycorrhizae throughout the forest. More research needs to be done on this important ecological link.

      

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