Flying squirrel

Family: Sciuridae, Squirrels view all from this family Description A small squirrel. Very soft fur, rich brown above, white below; abdominal hairs usually gray at base. Loose fold of skin between forelegs and hindlegs. Tail has characteristic flattened appearance; dark brown above and white below. Large black eyes. L 10 3/8"--14 1/2" (263--368 mm); T 4 1/2--7 1/8" (115--180 mm); HF 1 1/2--1 3/4" (38--45 mm); Wt 2 3/8-5 oz (70--140 g). Endangered Status Two Appalachian Mountain subspecies of the Northern Flying Squirrel are on the US Endangered Species List. The Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel is classified as endangered in North Carolina and Tennessee, and the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel is classified as endangered in Virginia and West Virginia. The Northern Flying Squirrel is a creature of the cool boreal forests of Alaska, Canada, and the far northern US The two endangered subspecies are the most southerly of these squirrels, and were probably stranded in these now slightly warmer regions after the last ice age. As the climate warmed over the millenia and the habitat changed, their populations probably naturally declined. Nowadays the last of the Appalachian Mountain flying squirrels live in restricted, isolated habitats that are vulnerable to human disturbance as logging activity and ski areas and other recreational developments encroach upon them. Additionally, the more aggressive Southern Flying Squirrel tends to outcompete the Northern when the two overlap <b>...</b>