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mountain musing

Glaucomys sabrinus.

The Northern Flying Squirrel

Cuter than a bug's ear.

We stood on my friend's snowy deck while he broiled steaks. Ours was a spirited two-cocktail discussion. The time was near eight o'clock in the evening. Suddenly a squirrel dropped from a nearby tree onto his deck railing and scampered to a bird feeder hanging nearby. I said, "That's a flying squirrel!"

My friend Bill used his cellphone camera to take the above picture.

The squirrel was small, perhaps 10-inches overall, with tail extended. He seemed unafraid of us. Flying squirrels have a loose fold of skin between front and rear feet. When stretched out, this skin forms a glider that lets the squirrel sail from tree to tree, at considerable distance. (See below)

Many Montanans don't know the nocturnal flying squirrels dwell among us--having never seen one.

Click below for more pics of the critter.