Flying squirrel

About: Flying squirrel is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 360 publications have been published within this topic receiving 5689 citations. The topic is also known as: flying squirrel.

Experimental trials of the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) traversing managed rainforest landscapes: perceptual range and fine-scale movements

Abstract: Successful dispersal in many species may be a function of the distance at which animals can perceive a particu- lar landscape feature (i.e., perceptual range), as well as energetic costs associated with traversing the distance towards that feature. We used a model, relating perceptual range to body size of mammals, to predict the perceptual range of the north- ern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801)) in fragmented forests of Southeast Alaska. We hypothesized that the perceptual range of flying squirrels would be 325.5-356.5 m in clearcuts and 159.7-174.9 m in second-growth stands. The distance advantage in clearcuts may, however, be lost if the cost of transport in that habitat is higher. Our results sug- gest that as heuristically predicted by the model, the perceptual range of flying squirrels was greater in clearcut habitats than in second-growth stands. Nonetheless, for both habitats the actual perceptual range was significantly shorter than pre- dicted by the model. We found that precipitation, and associated cloud cover and illumination, and wind speed, which af- fect olfaction capabilities, influenced orientation success. Although squirrels more often oriented towards the forest edge in clearcuts, they paused more often during their movements, which may lead to higher costs of dispersing through this habitat. The application of the mass-based model to nonagricultural landscapes should be done with caution, and variables such as wind and illumination be measured concurrently. Our data illustrate that dispersing squirrels likely will not venture into managed habitats because logging creates clearcuts larger than the perceptual range of these mammals.

Homing in and Ecology of the Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans in Southeastern Virginia

Abstract: A population of the southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans in southeastern Virginia was examined for its homing ability. Nest boxes were used to capture the experimental animals and to evaluate homing. Squirrels returned home with high frequency from distances up to 1000 m. There was a significant association between low temperature and large aggregations of huddling squirrels in nest boxes. Holes used as feeding stations were never converted to primary nests.

Morphology, locomotor behaviour and microhabitat use in North American squirrels

Abstract: The rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels) presents an ideal system for examining the morphological, behavioural and ecological correlates of locomotor novelty. Ancestrally, sciurids were arboreal, a condition retained by modern tree squirrels. Two major transitions from the arboreal condition are hypothesized to have occurred in the sciurid clade: (1) flying squirrels evolved gliding from arboreal leaping (parachuting) and (2) chipmunks and ground squirrels became semiarboreal/terrestrial. This study examines morphology, locomotor behaviour and microhabitat use under controlled laboratory conditions in three North American sciurids: eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus, red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus and southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans. Multivariate space was defined using a series of morphological measurements and by continuously sampling individuals moving under identical conditions in a naturalistic enclosure, controlling for the proximate effects of microhabitat structure. Morphospace was characterized by a contrast between proximal and distal limb elements – flying squirrels exhibited elongated forelimbs and shanks and shortened forefeet and hindfeet, while chipmunks exhibited the opposite pattern. Ethospace was characterized by a contrast between aerial locomotion in flying squirrels and ground-based locomotion in chipmunks. In both instances, red squirrels occupied intermediate positions, as predicted on the basis of retention of ancestral features. Despite significant differences among species at morphological and behavioural levels, ecospace was characterized by overlap between flying squirrels and red squirrels in the use of high supports, and between flying squirrels and chipmunks in the use of large-diameter supports. The lack of concordance at the ecological level underscores the difficulty in making predictions based solely upon organismal design.

Molecular systematics and Pleistocene biogeography of Mesoamerican flying squirrels

Abstract: Populations of flying squirrels from the Mesoamerican highlands represent the least understood members of the genus Glaucomys. Traditionally, these populations have been considered to be southern disjuncts of the southern flying squirrel (G. volans), a species that is widespread across the deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests of eastern North America. The limited number of museum specimens of Mesoamerican flying squirrels has made discerning the systematic and biogeographic relationships of these populations a challenge. We used ancient DNA techniques to extract, amplify, and sequence a 571-base pair segment of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome-b gene from 22 of 34 available museum specimens. Mesoamerican flying squirrel data were combined with homologous sequences from representative populations of Glaucomys from the United States and Canada. This combined data set was analyzed using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods. Results indicate that G. volans is monophyletic and contains 2 monophyle...