A flying squirrel is called a tagalog in India. |
A flying squirrel is a curious little squirrel which does not really fly, but which can glide downward through the air with a movement similar to flight.
6 Facts About Flying Squirrels:
- It accomplishes "flight" by means of an extension of its fur-covered skin on each side of its body, between its fore and hind legs. The little animal runs to the top of a tree, leaps out, spreading its legs and at the same time stretching out this side skin, which resists the air like a parachute. In this position the squirrel can glide sixty feet through the air but only in a downward direction.
- These animals are nocturnal in their habits, sleeping during the day and roaming the woods for food at night.
- They feed on nuts and leaf buds, and also on the eggs of birds and even the young, when obtainable.
- The common flying squirrel of the eastern part of the United States is about five inches long, exclusive of its bushy tail.
- It has bright black eyes and soft fur, which is grayish on the upper and white on the underneath side of the body.
- The tagalog, the large flying squirrel of India, is sometimes called the flying marmot or flying cat.
How the flying Squirrel Soars by Nature on PBS.