The Oklahoma Southern Flying Squirrel
The flying squirrel is sometimes referred to as a sugar glider, scaly-tailed squirrel or small gliding opossum.
Scientifically flying squirrels are known as Pteromyini or Petauristini. They are omnivores with a varied diet including
berries, nuts, even mice.
The Flying Squirrel does not actually fly, rather they glide. Some experts claim that if a flyer
is 80 feet up in the air, it can glide for hundreds of feet. A sugar glider can adjust their flight
pattern via their tail and wrist bone. When preparing to land, they slow their decent with a
parachute style curvature. Flying squirrels have a typical life span of 6 years in the wild and up
to 15 years in captivity. Mortality by predators such as owls, snakes and raccoons is common.
In Oklahoma, the southern flying squirrel is the most common variety of sugar glider
and they are quite populous in the eastern half of the state,
including Tulsa and surrounding areas.
Just the same, they often go unnoticed in the wild due to the
nocturnal nature of their activities and their ability to blend in with the surroundings.
Although hard to notice in the wild, and sometimes in your house,
flying squirrels can quickly become a hard to solve problem once they decide to invade your home.
As a matter of fact, because of their troublesome nature and the extreme frustration they cause homeowners
(who end up with flying squirrels in their attic or walls) some states have passed laws not allowing flying squirrels as pets.
Signs Of Flying Squirrels - Attic And House
It is not easy to detect flying squirrels in your house, the signs
are not easily detected unless you know exactly what you're looking for -
chew marks on wood siding smaller than chew markings by common squirrels, attic insulation with "peaks",
molasses like feces, and solid feces very similar to that of a common wild squirrel.
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