You’ll only find gliding squirrels in one group: the flying squirrels. They don’t really fly like birds or bats—what they do is glide, thanks to a furry skin flap between their legs called a patagium. That quirky feature sets them apart from your usual tree squirrels and turns them into acrobats of the treetops.
If you’re curious about which squirrels can glide and how they pull it off, you’re in the right spot. This guide will walk you through the main types, what makes them so good at gliding, and a bit about how to find them—or at least hear them—at night.
Which Squirrels Can Glide
Let’s talk about which squirrel groups glide, how you can tell them apart from other squirrels, and where they live. I’ll keep it straightforward: names, traits, and their main hangouts.
Flying Squirrel Species Around the World
Flying squirrels mostly belong to the tribe Pteromyini (or Pteromyinae if you want to get technical). There are over 50 species across several genera.
In North America, look for Glaucomys—like the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) and the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). Eurasia has Pteromys, including the Japanese dwarf Pteromys volans and some tiny pygmy flying squirrels. Asia’s giants, such as Petaurista petaurista, live in South and Southeast Asia. Some are tiny, weighing just a few dozen grams, while the giants can top a kilogram.
Key gliding features:
- Patagium: a stretch of skin running from wrist to ankle.
- Tail: broad and flat, perfect for steering and braking.
- No real wings: they glide, not fly.
Distinguishing Flying Squirrels from Other Squirrels
You can spot a flying squirrel by its patagium and the fact that it’s out and about at night. See a squirrel leaping from a high branch and stretching out flat? Probably a flyer.
Visual hints:
- Big eyes for seeing in the dark, and usually softer, denser fur.
- The body looks flatter and more streamlined when they’re gliding.
- They move between trees by gliding, not just running along branches.
Regular tree squirrels don’t have the patagium and usually just run or hop short distances. Glaucomys species use tree cavities and stash food, while non-gliders often build dreys or burrow.
Habitats and Geographic Distribution
Flying squirrels stick to forests where they can launch and land from tree to tree. In the eastern U.S., Glaucomys volans and Glaucomys sabrinus use mixed woods across the Northeast and Appalachians. Pteromys species in Eurasia live in temperate and boreal forests. Petaurista and Iomys in tropical Asia prefer rainforests and mountain forests.
The main threats? Habitat loss from logging and development, which takes away tree cavities and glide paths. When forests get chopped up, squirrels have to cross the ground more—bad news with predators around.
Want to see them? Try wooded areas at dusk or after dark, and keep an eye on gaps in the canopy or old trees with holes. Keeping big, mature forests intact is key if we want to help these gliders stick around.
How Squirrels Glide: Anatomy and Behavior
Let’s get into what actually lets these squirrels glide, just how far they can go, and how gliding fits into their daily routine. We’ll look at anatomy, how they control their “flight,” how far they can glide, and how their habits shape their lives.
The Role of the Patagium and Other Adaptations
The patagium is a fur-covered membrane that stretches between the front and back legs. When a flying squirrel jumps, it spreads out this membrane like a little parachute, catching the air as it sails.
Some species have extra skin between the neck and wrists or between the back legs and tail. There’s also a cartilaginous rod—the styliform cartilage—that sticks out from the wrist to help stretch the patagium forward.
Big eyes help them see at night. Their long, flat tails work like rudders, steering and slowing them down. Only gliding squirrels in the Sciuridae family have these features. Ground squirrels and regular tree squirrels like grays, reds, and foxes just don’t have that kind of equipment, so they can’t glide.
Gliding Distances and Mechanisms
When a flying squirrel launches from a tree, it pushes off to build up speed and instantly opens its patagium. The membrane and tail help control lift and drag, letting it adjust its pitch and direction.
The best gliders pull up right before landing, slowing themselves down to hit the branch on all fours. Glide distance really depends on the species and their size. Small northern flying squirrels usually glide 20–30 meters in one go, while some tropical giants have managed nearly 450 meters.
Most woodland glides are in the tens of meters, though. Squirrels tweak their glide angle by shifting their limbs, spreading their tail, and arching their body. That lets them aim for the perfect branch, dodge predators, or just get closer to dinner.
Diet and Daily Life of Gliding Squirrels
You’ll usually spot gliding squirrels hanging out in trees. They come alive at night, or sometimes around dusk and dawn—it just depends on the species.
Most of them hunt for seeds, fruit, fungi, insects, and, every now and then, eggs or small prey. The food they crave actually influences where they glide.
If they’re after fungi and nuts, they stick close to tree trunks. When fruit’s the goal, they’ll head for gaps in the canopy.
These squirrels nest in tree cavities or throw together leafy dreys where branches meet the trunk. Gliding lets them move between food patches without burning as much energy as climbing up and down all day.
It’s also their trick for dodging ground predators and making a quick getaway to feeding spots. Still, they’ll steer clear of open spaces if they sense owls or snakes lurking nearby.
