The animal world is full of records. Which animal is the slowest, turtle? No, it's a sloth. Who runs the fastest? On land, it is a cheetah, which reaches speeds of up to 120 km/h in pursuit of prey; under water, it is a sailfish, which can swim at a speed of 110 km/h. Who jumps the farthest? When asked this question, everyone immediately remembers the kangaroo, whose jump length is 13 meters, or the impala antelope, which can jump 12 meters in length. But no one remembers the little animal that sets real jumping records. This is a flying squirrel. It lives throughout Eurasia. The report will tell you more about this animal.
Description of appearance
Externally, the flying squirrel is very similar to a squirrel - the same small muzzle with expressive black eyes, rounded ears, but without tassels, paws with short sharp nails, a bushy tail, soft delicate fur of a silver color with a reddish tint. The flying squirrel is a small animal, its body length is on average 18-20 cm, its tail is 11-13 cm, and it weighs no more than 200 grams.
Its main trump card is the leather membrane between the hind and front paws. This membrane plays the role of a parachute during the flying squirrel's jumps.
When an animal jumps, it presses its hind legs to its body and spreads its front legs to the sides, straightening the membrane. In the form of such a triangle, the flying squirrel glides from tree to tree at a distance of 50-60 meters!
Interesting Facts
There are many rumors and speculations about the flying squirrel. Some compare individuals to bats and fear them. The most interesting facts are the following:
- The flying squirrel is an interesting topic for writing; schoolchildren in primary and secondary classes choose it and write exciting texts. This popularity is associated with the name of the individual and its ability to make such large jumps.
- The animal quickly gets used to a person and is able to identify him by smell.
- Some individuals in captivity can live up to 17 years, which is a record for this species.
- The fur of a flying squirrel is much softer than that of an ordinary squirrel, but it is still not used for industrial purposes due to the difficulties of dressing.
- The cost of a baby squirrel today reaches 12,000 rubles.
- Mostly the Australian subspecies of flying squirrels are purchased for domestic keeping, since these individuals are not on the verge of destruction.
- The longest recorded jump of a flying squirrel is about 80 meters.
When any threat arises, the flying squirrel makes an unusual sound that resembles a squeak that turns into a rumbling sound.
The flying squirrel is an unusual and interesting animal that lives in different regions of the planet. The possibility of keeping individuals at home increases their popularity and demand among exotic fans.
Habitats and habits
Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Mongolia, Russia, China, Korea are countries where the flying squirrel is common. Its habitat is taiga and mixed forests. Animals prefer to settle where deciduous trees such as birch and alder are more common; they love hazel.
This is a very agile and playful animal, nocturnal and capable of excellent camouflage, so its habits have not yet been studied enough. It is known about the flying squirrel that:
- it settles in tree hollows at a height of at least 3 meters from the ground;
- feeds on buds of deciduous trees, pine needles, bark of young shoots, pine nuts, mushrooms, berries; its favorite delicacy is alder and birch catkins;
- does not hibernate in winter, although in severe frosts it prefers to sit in a hollow and eat the reserves made in the summer;
- its natural enemies are marten, sable, weasel, lynx, falcon;
- In its natural environment, the flying squirrel lives 5-10 years.
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Content:
Reproduction
Flying squirrels live in pairs all their lives . The female breeds offspring 1-2 times a year, in early spring or early summer. Pregnancy lasts a month. 2-4 baby squirrels are born at a time. Babies are born blind and helpless, but they grow quickly and after 40 days they are able to make their first 10-20 meter jumps.
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Flying squirrel and man
The flying squirrel's fur is very thin and fragile, so it has no economic value. They hunt it only for sport. But tracking down an agile, cautious, and most importantly nocturnal animal is not so easy, so the bigger problem is the reduction of its natural habitat due to deforestation. But so far the number of flying squirrels is not in danger.
It is very difficult to keep it in captivity because it needs large spaces.
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Home maintenance
The flying squirrel does not get along well in an apartment or private house, since it needs a fairly large space for jumping. However, life expectancy increases to 9-12 years, which is due to the absence of natural enemies.
Before you get such an animal, you need to create all the conditions for its comfortable living. The main thing is a spacious and durable cage, which will have at least one nest. In it, the individual can rest during the day or hide from strangers. The flying squirrel does not get along with other rodents , so its cage must be separate and also distant from others.
In addition, it is worth placing an oak or alder branch in the cage. The flying squirrel will move along it. It is better to install several branches along which the animal will jump. The flying squirrel is considered a very social pet that does not tolerate loneliness. Despite its predominantly nocturnal lifestyle, it can change its biological rhythm in order to have more contact with humans.
A baby squirrel can be adopted when it reaches the age of 4-6 weeks. For the first few days it is better to hand feed him. This will allow the pet and owner to bond faster. The cage must be cleaned daily, ensuring that there are twigs and leaves for the squirrel to live comfortably. The animal will be able to maintain its activity and shape thanks to a regular wheel, which is usually placed in a hamster cage.
If your pet looks tired and refuses food, it is most likely not being cared for correctly. It is better to contact a veterinarian who will examine the squirrel and suggest a way to solve the problem. Experts warn that people who cannot care for a flying squirrel should not take on such responsibility, since the animal is in good health, but often gets sick if not properly cared for. The appearance of the fur will always tell you about the health of your pet.
Nutrition in captivity is also different . It is allowed to give the squirrel fruits, natural juices, honey, cottage cheese and yogurt without artificial colors or preservatives. Some owners prefer to feed their squirrel canned cat food. Sometimes the animal must receive worms and larvae. A prerequisite for keeping it is the presence of a sufficient amount of clean drinking water and salt crystals, which should be placed near the drinking bowl.
How to see a flying squirrel?
This agile flyer covers almost 60 m during a jump. In the photo of the squirrels you can see a small body with a touching muzzle and large, kind eyes. Incredibly beautiful animals. In nature, it is impossible to see this nimble animal with the ordinary eye. And only the camera has such an advantage and allows us to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the little flyer.
What do squirrels eat?
What do these cute animals eat? Of course, hazelnuts, but not only them; in addition to nuts, the squirrel’s diet includes acorns, seeds of coniferous trees: spruce, pine, cedar and others, as well as mushrooms and various grains. Being an omnivore, the squirrel is not averse to eating various beetles, toads, lizards and even bird chicks. During crop failure and famine, the squirrel eats tree bark, lichens, rhizomes and herbaceous plants.
Natural enemies of flying squirrels
Photo: Flying squirrel
Squirrels are very mobile and maneuverable. They can very deftly jump along tree branches, flying to other trunks at high altitudes. This serves as reliable protection from predatory carnivorous animals or birds. Small animals are in danger everywhere.
They can be hunted by small predators: martens, ferrets, weasels. Large and dangerous carnivores - lynxes, coyotes - can attack. Of the feathered hunters, owls, eagles, falcons, and eagle owls pose the greatest danger to squirrels.
What saves flying squirrels is their specific camouflage color, which hides them against the background of trees and makes it possible to be unnoticed by enemies. The ability to fly over significant distances also provides great opportunities for maneuver and shelter from predators.
When attacked by a predator, the squirrel instantly flies to another tree, successfully escaping the threat. It's not so easy to fly away from a big bird. But squirrels can change their flight path while jumping, confusing even a cunning owl or eagle owl.
Good eyesight and acute hearing allow animals to navigate well in the dark in order to see or hear approaching danger in advance.
A pet
Pictures of flying squirrels evoke sincere tenderness: you just want to touch the extraordinary animal and feed it nuts. Some people today want to have exotic pets. The winged squirrel is quite expensive, which means that not everyone can buy it. The minimum cost is $1,500.
The fans of these animals can be understood, because they look very attractive, therefore, we can expect that there will not be a decrease in potential buyers in the near future. The corresponding tags and messages on the VKontakte website, for example, allow you to see how many people are interested in these animals.
It is quite difficult to create the necessary conditions for a flying squirrel in an apartment. She needs ample space to jump and fly. At home, her character undergoes some changes:
- During the day she is restless and aggressive;
- At night she becomes kind and affectionate.
Its fur is much softer than that of ordinary squirrels, so you want to stroke and hold flying squirrels in your hands. Those who want to keep this cute animal that looks like a mouse need to provide it with a large territory and the right diet. The pet should not gain weight or, conversely, suffer from malnutrition.
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The dwarf flying cuscus belongs to the family of marsupial flying squirrels. He is also called an acrobat. The same family includes the sugar glider, which is often kept at home. The habitat of couscous is the east and south of Australia. They choose eucalyptus trees for themselves...
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Nutrition
This type of animal is absolutely not picky about the choice of food; it eats everything it can get. His poor diet may include:
- Seeds;
- Nuts;
- Fruits;
- Mushrooms;
- Spiders;
- Butterflies;
- Bird eggs;
It eats almost all the food it gets right there; in rare exceptions, it takes the leftovers with it into a hollow, which at the same time serves as a warehouse for storing leftover food. These reserves will definitely be eaten during the winter.
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The flying squirrel or flying squirrel is a small rodent that belongs to the Squirrel family and the Mammal class. Nowadays, this rodent is the only representative of this family living on our territory.
