Animal of the Day – Flying Squirrel!
There are 43 species of flying squirrels. 2 of those 43 species are native to North America. With them living in North America don’t be thinking that you will find one in New York City. You are more likely to find one in Mexico, Central America, and Cuba/Jamaica. Though most are found in Asia. In the wild these animals live to about 5 years but in captivity they can live for a whole 10-15 years. This is mainly because of predators. These harmful predators include arboreal snakes, raccoons, nocturnal owls, martens, fishers, coyotes, and the domestic house cat. These creatures have even been kept as pets. That is Southern Flying Squirrels. They have been kept as pets since the U.S. colonial era. They can ‘glide’ from heights of 50 feet in the air for 100 straight feet through the air. They weigh between 4 – 6 1/2 oz. . They are mammals and are considered rodents. But still cute!