Flying Squirrel - Gliding Rodent

I've never seen one personally, but this gliding little rodent known as the flying squirrel is surely a cool spectacle to witness, if you ever get the chance. Flying squirrels don't have wings like a bird, but they have mastered the art of gliding. They are capable of steering, swerving and changing course during their flight, as well. Their hind limbs and forelimbs are joined by a fur-covered membrane which acts as a parachute, in a way. Okay, we'll call 'em wings if it makes more sense to ya. Ha! Anyway, they are rather small creatures, for a squirrel. Going by what I have read in the past, their big eyes inspired Walt Disney to create one of his enchanting screen characters.

Though there are several species of this flying rodent, most have habits similar to those of the North American types.  As for North America, there are two types: The Southern and the Northern version, with the Northern being larger. You can find other species in different countries, as well.  We have African versions, ones from the Rain Forest, Siberian flyers, and so on.  Out of all the ones I've read about, the pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel has to be about the smallest. It weighs only half an ounce! That's a tiny, pesky little rodent!

Anyway, these peculiar squirrels are nocturnal, and rarely leave their home during the day, which is probably why many of us haven't seen them before. Young flying squirrels learn to glide at one month old (on average), but they don't master the art of being a flying rodent until they are about 5 months old or thereabouts. Just like regular squirrels, they never truly hibernate. One additional tidbit that won't interest many people, is the hilarious debates that have spawned from the flying squirrel. People often argue how they amazingly evolved and all that jazz, which is another reason why I'm not a big proponent of the speciation concepts (macro-evolution) from the theory of evolution, as there is way too much storytelling going on for my liking. At any rate, regardless of how it got here, this gliding rodent is one nifty critter nonetheless.

Hunting: Some states have protections for this particular species and some don't.  As always, if unsure, check with your state wildlife agency to determine the legal status of your desired game in your area.  Personally, I don't know why anybody would want to shoot them because there isn't enough meat on their bones, going by the images I've seen. I've shot and ate squirrels before (the normal-sized ones like the grey, red, and fox varieties), but never have I seen or even wanted to shoot one of these gliding rats. Anyway, I just thought I'd mention this in case people are already reaching for their shotgun; ha!

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