Discover the Sky-High Wonders: Top 11 Fun Facts About Flying Squirrels You'll Love!

1. Caped Crusader Squirrels

Step aside, Superman; there's a new caped crusader in town: Flying squirrels are experts at gracefully gliding through the air, using the loose skin between their front and hind legs, executing precise turns even at right angles. They decelerate by flipping their tail up, holding their body back, perfectly positioning their feet for expert landings, face up and ready to run up their next tree target.
Source => portal.ct.gov

2. Skydiving Daredevils

Meet the skydiving daredevils of the rodent world, who prefer gliding to BASE jumping: Flying squirrels use a special flap of skin called the patagium to travel from tree to tree, expertly changing direction by lowering one arm and utilizing a unique wrist cartilage to support their aerial maneuverability, making short yet thrilling leaps across branches and tree trunks.
Source => nationalgeographic.com

Did you know squirrels are speed demons in miniature fur coats? Discover how their incredible sprinting abilities help them out-zoom predators and snatch up snacks! 🐿️💨

=> Fun Facts about Squirrels

3. Furry Hang Gliders

While rocketing through the skies like a four-legged superhero might seem like a squirrel's dream come true, these furry gliders are more along the lines of nature's furry hang gliders, living life on the edge: Flying squirrels are able to glide at an average speed of 30mph, reaching up to 35mph, using a thin, furry membrane between their front and back legs to elegantly soar through the air, though true flight remains out of their grasp.
Source => peachtreepestcontrol.com

4. Acrobatic Opportunists

Marvel at the Flying Squirrel's exceptional career as an acrobatic opportunist, juggling various culinary options and seamlessly gliding through nature's intricate stage as if effortlessly toeing between survival and spectacle: These whimsical rodents thrive on a diverse diet of seeds, nuts, mushrooms, fruit, eggs, small birds, small rodents, and even decaying animals, while using their unique talent of gliding (not flying) from tree to tree to dodge predators like house cats, raccoons, snakes, owls, hawks, weasels, and bobcats.
Source => a-z-animals.com

5. Pink Fluorescent Bellies

Pink Panther, is that you? Nope, it's just a flying squirrel fluorescing in style: These fascinating gliders have belly fur that glows bubble-gum pink under UV light, a recently discovered adaptation that may aid in finding their perfect mate.
Source => bernheim.org

6. Squirrel Sorority

Talk about a squirrel sorority: flying squirrel moms happily share their communal nest in the ultimate example of sisterhood. After pledging to this furry tree frathouse, they take turns babysitting and nursing their young, ensuring survival of the babies and solidifying a bond amongst these aerial acrobats.
Source => whatdosquirrelseat.org

7. Batman's Inspiration

Holy squirrels, Batman! Has your favorite crime-fighting vigilante been moonlighting as a flying rodent enthusiast? It appears his airborne antics are a nod to our furry gliding friends: The wingsuit used by Robert Pattinson's Batman in The Batman is, in fact, inspired by actual flying squirrels and a real-life gadget used by daredevil BASE jumpers, making his glide through the night both scientifically accurate and impossibly cool.
Source => screenrant.com

8. Nocturnal Fortnite Fans

Next time you're going batty trying to find a Fortnite match, remember the flying squirrels are out there, frolicking and flapping with true nocturnal devotion: These elusive gliders have the distinguished title of the only nocturnal squirrels, and they adorably produce two litters per season, usually in mid-summer and early spring, blessing the earth with two to seven pups each time.
Source => arrowexterminators.com

9. Furry Flights

Who needs planes when you've got furry flyers soaring from tree to tree like mini superheroes?: Flying squirrels have a skin flap called the patagium, allowing them to glide roughly three feet per foot drop with agility, maneuver between obstacles, and their large eyes and whiskers help them see and navigate in the dark.
Source => northernwoodlands.org

10. High-Flying Professors

When adrenaline junkies need to take notes, flying squirrels are the professors in a high-flying university of aerial acrobatics: With their own built-in wingsuits, they can happily glide up to 80 meters, giving even the most daring skydivers a run for their money.
Source => biokids.umich.edu

11. Skin-Flap Superheroes

Step aside, Superman – there's a new superhero in town, and they're rocking fashionable skin flaps instead of a cape: Flying squirrels are the ultimate aerial acrobats, gliding up to 300 feet in one graceful leap, thanks to their skin-flap superhero costumes, also known as patagia.
Source => crittercontrol.com