02 · DISTRIBUTION
Where it occurs
Current MDD country distribution: Canada · Guatemala · Honduras · Mexico · United States.
Country-level distribution is a broad map, not a claim that the species occurs throughout every listed country.
FLYING SQUIRRELS · SPECIES PROFILE
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans
Least ConcernDETAILED REFERENCETHE SCURRY
Back to Flying Squirrels →Body length13–15 cm (5–6 in)
Tail length8–12 cm (3–5 in)
Weight45–85 g
ActivityNocturnal. Moves through the canopy by climbing and controlled gliding and can share winter dens with other flying squirrels.
ConservationLeast Concern
Countries / regionCanada · Guatemala · Honduras · Mexico · United States
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Classification & Current Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
SubfamilySciurinae
TribePteromyini
GenusGlaucomys
SpeciesGlaucomys volans
MDD taxon ID1001622
Current MDD recognizes this as a living species in tribe Pteromyini.
02 · HABITAT
Where it lives
Deciduous and mixed hardwood forest, pine forest, suburban woodland and mature urban parkland. Natural cavities and connected tree cover are important.
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Shelter, Nest & Resting Sites
Primarily tree cavities, including abandoned woodpecker holes; nest boxes are readily used and external leaf nests occur occasionally. Nest lining can include moss, leaves, bark fibers and feathers. Multiple animals may den together in winter.
RANGE & HABITAT CONTEXT
Compare form, setting and structure
Related flying squirrels help break up the reference while showing how habitat, body form and movement can vary across the broader group.
04
Identification & Physical Profile
Body length13–15 cm (5–6 in)
Tail length8–12 cm (3–5 in)
Weight45–85 g
AppearanceGray-brown above with a white underside, large dark eyes, a broad flattened bushy tail and a furred patagium between the fore- and hind limbs.
Gray-brown above with a white underside, large dark eyes, a broad flattened bushy tail and a furred patagium between the fore- and hind limbs.
05
Gliding Anatomy & Locomotion
Published references commonly report glides of roughly 30–50 m (100–160 ft).
Pteromyini context: Flying squirrels glide rather than perform powered flight. The patagium creates an aerodynamic surface, specialized wrist structures help support that surface, and the flattened or bushy tail contributes to stability and control.
06
Behavior, Activity & Communication
Activity: Nocturnal. Moves through the canopy by climbing and controlled gliding and can share winter dens with other flying squirrels.
Social system: Can be socially tolerant and may form small nesting groups, especially during cold weather.
Communication: Uses chirps and other quiet vocalizations; scent and close-range social cues also matter.
BEHAVIOR & FORAGING CONTEXT
Keep behavior connected to the animal
These are related flying squirrels, not photographs of Southern Flying Squirrel. Use them as visual context for locomotion, posture, feeding and environmental use.
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Diet & Foraging
Omnivorous. Common foods include acorns and other nuts, seeds, fruit, fungi and truffles, buds, insects and occasionally bird eggs.
Acorns and hickory nuts
Seeds
Fruit
Fungi and truffles
Tree buds
Insects
Bird eggs reported
08
Reproduction & Development
Breeding seasonSpecies breeds seasonally; exact timing varies geographically and can include more than one reproductive period in southern portions of the range.
GestationAbout 40 days is commonly reported in mammal references; exact timing can vary by study.
Litter sizeCommonly 2–4 young; larger litters are possible.
DevelopmentUnknown
Unknown values remain explicit. Reproductive figures from related flying squirrels are not silently substituted for this species.
09 · LONGEVITY
Lifespan
Wild and captive longevity varies; exact reliable population-wide lifespan is not reduced here to one number.
09 · PREDATORS
Predation & Risk
Owls, snakes and mammalian carnivores are important predator groups; local predator communities vary.
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Ecology & Ecosystem Role
Consumes and disperses fungal fruiting bodies/spores and caches seeds and nuts, linking canopy foraging with forest-floor processes.
GROUP DIVERSITY
See the wider group around this species
Squirrels in the same broad group can look and live very differently. These credited references provide comparison without changing the facts for Southern Flying Squirrel.
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Conservation
CURRENT MDD / IUCN STATUSLeast Concern
Current MDD status shown above. Species with narrow island or montane distributions can face serious local habitat pressure even when a global assessment is not available.
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Research Coverage & Unknowns
One of the better-studied flying squirrels in North America, but regional differences in diet, reproduction and social denning should still be kept visible.
Genus context: Glaucomys is a small-to-medium flying-squirrel lineage associated broadly with temperate and boreal forest with connected canopy and den trees. This is genus-level context where direct species-specific data are missing.
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References & Further Reading
Taxonomy, distribution and conservation status follow the Mammal Diversity Database.