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flying squirrel. (Image by Britannica)

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flying squirrel

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia | Date: 2007

Any member of two distinct groups of rodents that are able to make gliding leaps by means of parachute-like membranes connecting their forelegs and hind legs on each side. North American and Eurasian flying squirrels, in the squirrel family (Sciuridae), are slender, long-limbed forest dwellers with soft fur and large eyes. They are 3–24 in. (8–60 cm) long, excluding the often-flattened tail, and feed on nuts, fruit, other plant material, and insects. They seldom descend to the ground. They can glide 200 ft (about 60 m) or more from one tree to another. The scaly-tailed flying squirrels of Africa (family Anomaluridae) have rows of scales on the underside of their tufted tail that help them climb and cling to trees. They are similar in appearance and feeding preferences to the sciurids and are about 4–16 in. (10–40 cm) long without the tail.

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles from HighBeam Research

	Endangered no more?: Flying squirrel closing in on removal from list Charleston Gazette; 3/21/2007; Tom Chapman; 787 words ; Working to recover endangered and threatened species is a lengthy task fraught with the knowledge that some species may never recover. But when a species does recover - with stable or increasing numbers, with adequate habitat, and with no serious threats to its continued existence - we all have Read more
	A secret squirrel among us: Seldom-seen nocturnal flying squirrels common Lehigh Valley residents. Morning Call (Allentown, PA); 5/23/2006; 787 words ; Byline: Christian Berg May 23--One of the cartoon characters I remember from my childhood is Secret Squirrel, a James Bond-style spy agent featured in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon show by the same name. Secret Squirrel and his trusty sidekick, Morocco Mole, traveled the world nabbing villains with the Read more
	Major Player - Long overlooked by forest managers, the flying squirrel is now emerging as an animal that is critical to the health of certain woodlands.(Pacific Northwest) National Wildlife; 6/1/2000; Taylor, Pete; 787 words ; A northern spotted owl swoops out of the treetops at twilight in an Oregon forest. Its target: a small rodent climbing a Douglas fir tree. The potential prey scrambles desperately from limb to limb, trying to escape. Finally it leaps and plummets straight to the ground with the owl in close Read more
	`Squirrel' was flying under radar in J/24 Capital (Annapolis); 11/4/2004; BILL WAGNER Staff Writer; 565 words ; Chris Crockett didn't consider his Flying Squirrel team one of the favorites going into last weekend's Hillman Capital Management J/24 East Coast Championship. That's strange considering the same crew had sailed the same boat to third place in the J/24 World Championships, held in mid- September Read more
	The Beat Rocky Mountain News; 10/9/2006; 226 words ; WACKY QUESTIONS I was driving in the 11000 block of Sheridan Boulevard when what I thought was a flying squirrel came out of a tree and almost crashed into my windshield. Was it a flying squirrel, or am I seeing things? - Don Lee, Thornton That probably wasn't Rocky you saw - and we hope it wasn't Read more