Showing papers on "Flying squirrel published in 2011"
TL;DR: The association of northern flying squirrels with mature, uncut forest and their suitability as ecological indicators of these vegetation types support the association of this species as a management indicator species.
Abstract: Research on the impact of clearcut logging and partial harvesting practices on northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) has shown inconsistent and contrary results, limiting the use of this species as a management indicator species. Much of this variability in study results is due to the labor intensive nature of studying flying squirrels, resulting in small sampling sizes (average ¼ 5.2 sites, n ¼ 14) and high variation (CV ¼ 0.59) across studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of relevant studies from North America to determine how forestry practices affect flying squirrel abundance. Mean effect size was � 1.18 (P < 0.001; n ¼ 14) for all studies, indicating a strong difference between control stands and those regenerating postclearcut or following partial harvesting. Our results support the association of northern flying squirrels with mature, uncut forest and their suitability as ecological indicators of these vegetation types. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
36 citations
TL;DR: Understanding how relatedness and familiarity interact in the formation of aggregations in seasonally gregarious animals sheds light on the processes and factors that lead to sociality.
Abstract: In winter southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) aggregate in large groups. They live on food items individually stored during the fall in their overlapping home ranges. The squirrels gain thermoregulatory benefits from living in aggregations but also face costs of group living, especially nest mates pilfering individually stored food. Other costs include increased predator attraction and a greater vulnerability to parasite infection. The presence of relatives in the group has the potential to increase inclusive fitness by increasing the availability of food, stored in the home area, to related individuals. Using 3 generations of known-relationship squirrels we conducted laboratory experiments to determine whether kin or familiar animals were preferred nest mates during aggregation formation. During 3 time periods, over 2 winters, squirrels were presented with kin and nonkin and familiar and unfamiliar animals and allowed to aggregate over the course of multiple 3-day trials. Kinship was persistently a major factor in the formation of aggregations. Squirrels aggregated with highly related animals (parents, offspring, and siblings) significantly more often than with unrelated animals. Familiarity became significant by the end of the study. Understanding how relatedness and familiarity interact in the formation of aggregations in seasonally gregarious animals sheds light on the processes and factors that lead to sociality.
17 citations
TL;DR: Patch occupancy by the cursorial squirrels was not strongly influenced by patch area or isolation, which reinforces previous studies suggesting that an understanding of species-specific traits such as behavior is an important consideration when interpreting habitat fragmentation effects.
Abstract: We tested whether species-specific behavioral traits could explain patterns of habitat patch occupancy by five different squirrel species in Ontario, Canada: the northern and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus and Glaucomys volans), the North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), and the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Flying squirrel species exhibit group nesting in winter, which may put them at risk of extirpation in small patches with few individuals to contribute to group nests. Flying squirrels are also volant, potentially making non-treed matrix a barrier. Our surveys revealed that G. sabrinus was most likely to occur in large patches that were embedded in landscapes with low connectivity, and least likely to occur in small patches in highly connected landscapes. Conversely, G. volans was most likely to occur in large, well-connected patches and least likely to occur in small, unconnected patches. Patch occupancy by the cursorial squirrels was not strongly influenced by patch area or isolation. These findings reinforce previous studies suggesting that an understanding of species-specific traits such as behavior is an important consideration when interpreting habitat fragmentation effects.
11 citations
TL;DR: Phylogeographical and demographic tests showed distributions of these two Petaurista subspecies expanded into coniferous and mixed forests that developed during glaciation in Taiwan's lowlands and middle lands, suggesting that these two petauristaSubspecies shifted elevation from mountainous areas to lowlands during Glaciation.
Abstract: To test the association between Pleistocene forest dynamics relative to elevation and the population dynamics of arboreal small mammals, we examined the phylogeographical predictions for the genetic structure of the red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus lena) and the Indian giant flying squirrel (P. philippensis grandis) using complete mitochondrial control region sequences. Both giant flying squirrels are endemic subspecies to Taiwan and are sympatric in much of their range. In the phylogenetic analyses, we included 35 specimens of P. alborufus lena collected from 20 localities and five specimens with unknown sampling localities. Also, we phylogenetically examined 32 specimens of P. philippensis grandis from 18 localities and three specimens with unknown sampling localities. We identified 36 haplotypes of P. alborufus lena and 33 haplotypes of P. philippensis grandis. Although we did not recognize major phylogroups, we found several minor phylogroups in both subspecies, suggesting similar evolutionary histories. Phylogeographical and demographic tests showed distributions of these two subspecies expanded into coniferous and mixed forests that developed during glaciation in Taiwan's lowlands and middle lands. This suggests that these two Petaurista subspecies shifted elevation from mountainous areas to lowlands during glaciation. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102, 404–419.
10 citations
TL;DR: It was found that related groups were more tolerant of truly novel intruders and more likely to incorporate them into the aggregation than were unrelated groups and effects of familiarity of individuals on the choice of nest mates were found.
Abstract: Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) are seasonally gregarious and rely on the thermoregulatory benefits of well-constructed nests and presence of nest mates to survive harsh winter conditions. Prior work has shown that kinship components are important to how winter aggregations form in captivity and that relatedness between individuals is higher than expected in undisturbed populations examined in the field. Over the course of 2 falls, 2006 and 2007, we created related and unrelated groups in a laboratory colony at Wake Forest University. We presented each group type with related and unrelated individuals as intruders. Once formed, aggregations persisted when presented with an intruder squirrel. Squirrels from existing aggregations were found in the same nest box 98% of the time. Factors of relatedness and familiarity were crucial in determining whether the intruder was accepted into an existing aggregation or nested alone. We found that related groups were more tolerant of truly novel (...
9 citations
TL;DR: For the first time, the behavior in the wild, vocalizations, and tracks of woolly flying Squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus are described.
Abstract: The woolly flying squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus is one of the rarest and least known mammals in Asia. Previously, it has only been known from a few specimens, a few recently captured individuals, and data obtained from local residents. In 2004, two woolly flying squirrels were located in the Nanga Parbat area of Pakistan and observed for two nights. For the first time, the behavior in the wild, vocalizations, and tracks of woolly flying squirrel are described.
5 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focused on three narrow isthmuses between the White and the Baltic Seas, which form important connections for the elements of northern taiga ecosystems, such as the Siberian flying squirrel.
Abstract: We focused our attention on three narrow isthmuses between the White and the Baltic Seas, which form important connections for the elements of northern taiga ecosystems, such as the Siberian flying squirrel. The method that we employed is based on the search of flying squirrel’s excrements on randomly selected 9 ha plots (more than 11700 plots studied in Russia and in Finland). Relative abundances of the flying squirrel in Russian Karelia and the Karelian Isthmus seem to be slightly higher than in Finland. The border of the flying squirrel’s range in the North-West could be delineated from the national park Kalevalski, across the Segezha region to the southern part of the White Sea, and further to the east. We suppose that the connection between flying squirrel populations of Scandinavia and Russia is mainly implemented through a narrow ‘middle-taiga corridor’, i.e. the isthmus between Ladoga and Onega Lakes, and only partly by the isthmus between Lake Onega and the White Sea.
4 citations
01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: SFS were not found to nest preferentially with relatives, which indicates social and mating factors may play a larger role in summer nest selection for this species, and can be applied to better manage for SFS habitat.
Abstract: Southern flying squirrels (SFS) (Glaucomys volans) were trapped and radio collared from late May to August, 2011 at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in south-central Michigan. Den site characteristics and genetic relatedness were investigated to gain further understanding of factors affecting habitat selection. SFS (n=15) were found to select for trees with larger dbh (P P>0.010), and snags (χ 2 =27.20, P<0.05). Seven SFS primers were amplified and sequenced to successfully identify all individuals and allow for calculation of pairwise relatedness. Two putative family groups (n=3, n=4), were identified within the sample, but overall relatedness was low (r=0.036, 95% CI: +0.068). SFS were not found to nest preferentially with relatives (P=0.095), which indicates social and mating factors may play a larger role in summer nest selection for this species. Our findings can be applied to better manage for SFS habitat, and contribute to a greater understanding of the influence of genetic relatedness on habitat use and communal nesting.
1 citations
01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the authors estimated the size and growth rate of a local flying squirrel population living in nest boxes in Alavus using 15-year mark-recapture data, and regressed the estimated population size against habitat availability to detect relationships between the variables and also possible effects of fragmentation.
Abstract: Human land use causes declines of natural populations, for example, by loss of habitat area. Additionally, habitat fragmentation can cause the population size to decline more than is expected based on the area lost. Some ecological processes, such as demographic stochasticity and Allee effect, can expose already small populations to further decline. The endangered Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) has suffered from intensive forestry in Finland. In this thesis I estimated the size and growth rate of a local flying squirrel population living in nest boxes in Alavus using 15-year mark-recapture data. I regressed the estimated population size against habitat availability to detect relationships between the variables and also possible effects of fragmentation. The adult population size decreased from 65 to 29 in 1995–2009. The growth rate was less than one during the time period, also indicating a decline. The survival probability for adults was about 0.5 and for juveniles 0.22, both being constant in time and quite equal to another study in Finland. Population size declined with decreasing habitat area and the number of box sites, but no effect of fragmentation was seen, since the relationship between population size and habitat area was linear. There was also temporal variation in population size not caused by habitat availability but other reasons, for example demographic and environmental stochasticity or predator species. Therefore, the generalizability of single year census is not very good. Additionally, predicting the current or future population size only based on habitat availability is dangerous, which should be considered in the conservation of the flying squirrel populations. The availability of cavity and foraging trees is important for the persistence of the species. Maybe the conservation of the species also requires placing nest boxes to enable living in habitats of poor quality when preferred habitats are cut down. The nest boxes could have saved the population from extinction so far, but with similar forest cutting the population could go extinct in 15 years.