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.

Hair cortisol concentration in Siberian flying squirrels is unrelated to landscape and social factors

Abstract: Intact ecosystems are being lost or modified worldwide, and many animal species are now forced to live in altered landscapes. A large amount of scientific studies have focused on understanding direct effects of habitat alterations on species occurrence, abundance, breeding success, and other life history aspects. Much less attention has been placed on understanding how habitat alterations impact on the physiology of species, e.g., via elevated chronic stress when living in an altered landscape. Here, we quantify the effects of individual age and sex, as well as effects of landscape and social factors on chronic stress of an endangered forest specialist species, the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans. We collected hair samples over 2 years from across 192 flying squirrels and quantified their chronic stress response via cortisol concentrations. We then ran statistical models to relate cortisol concentrations with landscape and social factors. We show that cortisol concentrations in flying squirrels are neither affected by habitat amount and connectivity, nor by the density of conspecifics in the area. We however found that cortisol concentration was higher in adults than in pups, and in males compared with females. Lack of an effect of environmental factors on cortisol concentrations may indicate low physiological sensitivity to alterations in the surrounding environment, possibly due to low densities of predators that could induce stress in the study area. Further research should focus on possible effects of varying predator densities, alone and in interaction with landscape features, in shaping chronic stress of this and other species.

Differential Estimates of Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) Population Structure Based on Capture Method

Abstract: It is commonly assumed that population estimates derived from trapping small mammals are accurate and unbiased or that estimates derived from different capture methods are comparable. We captured southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) using two methods to study their effect on red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) reproductive success. Southern flying squirrels were captured at and removed from 30 red-cockaded woodpecker cluster sites during March to July 1994 and 1995 using Sherman traps placed in a grid encompassing a red-cockaded woodpecker nest tree and by hand from red-cockaded woodpecker cavities. Totals of 195 (1994) and 190 (1995) red-cockaded woodpecker cavities were examined at least three times each year. Trappability of southern flying squirrels in Sherman traps was significantly greater in 1995 (1.18%; 22,384 trap nights) than in 1994 (0.42%; 20,384 trap nights), and capture rate of southern flying squirrels in cavities was significantly greater in 1994 (22.7%; 502 cavity inspections) than in 1995 (10.8%; 555 cavity inspections). However, more southern flying squirrels were captured per cavity inspection than per Sherman trap night in both years. Male southern flying squirrels were more likely to be captured from cavities than in Sherman traps in 1994, but not in 1995. Both male and female juveniles were more likely to be captured in cavities than in traps in both years. In 1994 males in reproductive condition were more likely to be captured in cavities than in traps and in 1995 we captured significantly more reproductive females in cavities than in traps. Our data suggest that population estimates based solely on one trapping method may not represent true population size or structure of southern flying squirrels.

Preliminary study on the ecology of trogopterus xanthipes

Abstract: The Complex-Toothed Flying Squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes) is indigenous to China. This paper deals with its ecology as its living and habits, the changes of external morphology with ages, reproduction, growth and life-span. The observation were carried out both in field and in rearing conditions. The following results were approached. 1. In January, May and August, 1981, the temperature inside the nests in cliffs was never below 10℃ in winter,and never above 26℃ in summer, the relative humidity is usually at 39-89%. 2. During breeding, in a nest at house always only one squirrel, but we found two special cases: ( 1 ) One family lived at the same nest-box? ( 2 ) Two adult females and six young squirrels lived at the same nest -box peacefully. 3. The squirrels prefer the branches of Thuja orienialis and Pinus tabu-laeformis as their food. 4. The first mating occurs at two years old (to be preciss, at 22 months) individuals. 4-6 days after the beginning of oestrus, the external pudenda of the females change from white to damp red in colour, when the pudenda swell as large as a broad bean, the females begin to accepte mating. Pregnancy is about 78-89 days, and most of the young squirrels are born at noon or in afternoon, Litter size is 1-4,