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Glaucomys volans

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Southern Flying Squirrel

G5Secure Found in 10 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102958
Element CodeAMAFB09010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusGlaucomys
COSEWICNAR
Other Common Names
Ardilla Voladora (ES) Petit polatouche (FR) southern flying squirrel (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Pattern of variation in cranial characteristics does not correspond well with current subspecies ranges in southwestern part of range; morphological differences between populations in Middle America and eastern U.S. are no greater than differences between populations in northeastern and southwestern parts of range in U.S. (Braun 1988).

Thorington et al. (1996) examined morphological variation in three genera of flying squirrels and concluded that Glaucomys, Hylopetes, and Eoglaucomys form three distinct clades, with G. volans and G. sabrinus congeneric (contrasting with earlier suggestions by Burt).

Arbogast (1999) examined mtDNA phylogeography based on samples from Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia and found only one major mtDNA lineage.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1996-11-06
Edition Date2003-11-05
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
Texas, Kansas, and Minnesota east to Quebec and Nova Scotia (uncommon to rare in these provinces) and eastern U.S.; montane populations scattered from northwestern Mexico to Honduras (Hoffmann et al., in Wilson and Reeder 1993). See Stabb (1988 COSEWIC report) for information on distribution and abundance in Canada.
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include loss of habitat and loss of cavity-bearing and mast-producing trees. In Arkansas, a seed-tree harvest regime, particularly without retained overstory hardwoods, produced a level of disturbance and resource depletion that was too severe for flying squirrel persistence (Taulman et al. 1998).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Prefers deciduous and mixed forests, particularly beech- maple, oak-hickory and poplar. Also occurs in old orchards. In New Hampshire, preferentially used areas with large shagbark hickories and beeches; males tended to use areas with large oaks, females tended to use areas with abundant snags (Fridell and Litvaitis 1991). Favors small, abandoned woodpecker holes for den sites; also uses nest boxes and abandoned bird and squirrel nests outside tree cavities.

Ecology

Highly sociable, particularly in winter, when communal nesting peaks; communal nesting aggregations occur in both northern and southern populations (Layne and Raymond, 1994, J. Mamm. 75:110-120).

Population density was estimated at 31-38/ha in southeastern Virginia (Sawyer and Rose 1985), 10-14/ha in Maryland, 1.5-2.5/ha in Michigan-Massachusetts (see Layne and Raymond). May be ousted from cavities by some large cavity-nesting birds; may kill or oust some small cavity-nesting birds.

Reproduction

Gestation lasts about 40 days. Births peak April-May and late summer in north, late February-March and September-October in south. Litter size usually is about 2-3 in south, 3-4 in north. Young first breed in spring after birth in north, may breed late in 1st summer in south. Two distinct breeding periods in New Hampshire, February-March and June-July; two litters per year (Stapp and Mautz 1991).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedSuburban/orchard
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsS5Yes
MissouriS4Yes
WisconsinS4Yes
VermontS5Yes
MaineSUYes
TennesseeS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
KansasS3Yes
MississippiS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
IndianaS4Yes
MichiganS5Yes
TexasS4Yes
Rhode IslandS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
NebraskaS1Yes
IowaS4Yes
MarylandS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
New HampshireS5Yes
FloridaSNRYes
OklahomaS3Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS4Yes
QuebecS2Yes
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
Roadless Areas (10)
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
New Hampshire (2)
AreaForestAcres
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Brushy MountainJefferson National Forest4,168
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
References (34)
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  6. Bendel, P. R., and J. E. Gates. 1987. Home range and microhabitat partitioning of the southern flying squirrel (GLAUCOMYS VOLANS). Journal of Mammalogy 68:243-55.
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  8. Diggins, C. A. 2023. Anthropogenically-induced range expansion as an invasion front in native species: An example in North American flying squirrels. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11:1096244.
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