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.

Fly Now, Die Later: Life-History Correlates of Gliding and Flying in Mammals

Abstract: A recent study of seasonal influences on energetics in the southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans (Stapp, 1992, Journal of Mammalogy, 73:914–920), compares metabolic and life-history variables in gliding and nongliding arboreal sciurids and interprets them largely in the context of thermoregulatory constraints. We consider an alternative explanation for the “ K -selected” traits of flying squirrels from evolutionary senescence theory and the comparative life-history literature. Comparative analyses reveal convincing evidence for the impact of mortality patterns on life histories of mammals and for gliding and flying as adaptations promoting the evolution of longevity.

Demography of northern flying squirrels informs ecosystem management of western interior forests.

Abstract: We studied northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) demography in the eastern Washington Cascade Range to test hypotheses about regional and local abundance patterns and to inform managers of the possible effects of fire and fuels management on flying squirrels. We quantified habitat characteristics and squirrel density, population trends, and demography in three typical forest cover types over a four-year period. We had 2034 captures of flying squirrels over 41 000 trap nights from 1997 through 2000 and marked 879 squirrels for mark-recapture population analysis. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest appeared to be poorer habitat for flying squirrels than young or mature mixed-conifer forest. About 35% fewer individuals were captured in open pine forest than in dry mixed-conifer Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and grand fir (Abies grandis) forests. Home ranges were 85% larger in pine forest (4.6 ha) than in mixed-conifer forests (2.5 ha). Similarly, population density (Huggins estimator) in ponderosa pine forest was half (1.1 squirrels/ha) that of mixed-conifer forest (2.2 squirrels/ha). Tree canopy cover was the single best correlate of squirrel density (r = 0.77), with an apparent threshold of 55% canopy cover separating stands with low- from high-density populations. Pradel estimates of annual recruitment were lower in open pine (0.28) than in young (0.35) and mature (0.37) forest. High recruitment was most strongly associated with high understory plant species richness and truffle biomass. Annual survival rates ranged from 45% to 59% and did not vary among cover types. Survival was most strongly associated with understory species richness and forage lichen biomass. Maximum snow depth had a strong negative effect on survival. Rate of per capita increase showed a density-dependent response. Thinning and prescribed burning in ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests to restore stable fire regimes and forest structure might reduce flying squirrel densities at stand levels by reducing forest canopy, woody debris, and the diversity or biomass of understory plants, truffles, and lichens. Those impacts might be ameliorated by patchy harvesting and the retention of large trees, woody debris, and mistletoe brooms. Negative stand-level impacts would be traded for increased resistance and resilience of dry-forest landscapes to now-common, large-scale stand replacement fires.

Movements of the flying squirrel Pteromys volans in corridors and in matrix habitat

Abstract: Elements of the landscape, such as patches of preferred habitat, matrix between patches, and corridors linking patches, differ as movement habitat for animals. To understand how landscape structure influences the movement and thus, population dynamics of animals, clear empirical knowledge on patterns of movement is needed. The Siberian flying squirrel inhabits spruce-dominated boreal forests from Finland to eastern Siberia. Numbers of flying squirrels have declined severely in Finland in past decades, probably due to modern forestry. We studied the movement of radio-collared adult flying squirrels in preferred (spruce forest) and in matrix habitat (open areas and other habitats with trees) in Finland 1997-2000, and determined whether the woodland strips connecting patches of preferred habitat could function as ecological corridors for flying squirrels. Flying squirrels used woodland strips for inter-patch movements, but also used matrix with trees and were able to cross narrow open gaps. Males moved longer total distances and crossed edges more often than females. Males used matrix habitats for movement between spruce patches, and moved faster and more directly in the matrix than in the spruce forest. Females seldom changed spruce patches, but instead used the matrix for foraging. For both sexes probability of leaving the spruce forest patch correlated negatively with the size of the patch, but the type of connection the patch had to other patches did not affect the leaving probability. Due to efficient movement abilities of the flying squirrel and forest-dominated landscape structure of southern Finland, we suggest that conservation acts for maintaining viable populations of flying squirrels should focus on the quality of managed forest and the area of suitable breeding habitat (i.e. on habitat loss), but not necessarily on ecological corridors.