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Super Squirrel - The Flying Squirrel

jazzynfo | Oct 22, 2010 |

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As cool as it might sound, flying squirrels aren't actually incapable of proper flying, and they don't even have wings. Instead they have a special stretching skin, called the membrane which can starch up to 20 cm, and form a sort of parachute, and make the squirrel glide on air like a parachutist. Steering is able by adjusting the tightness of the membrane. To adjust the membrane, the squirrel moves a cartilaginous wrist bone. Also the squirrel uses its tail as a stabilizer while in flight. When flying squirrel is about to land, its tail acts as a brake. The brake purpose is essential for squirrel's safety, since the squirrels speed might be very fast before it lands.

Many people like to have flying squirrel as a pet in their house. Flying squirrels live between 10 and 15 years when domesticated, while when living in the wild, they usually have a life cycle of about 5 to 6 years. This difference in lifetime of a flying squirrel normally is based on a lesser survivability of a flying squirrel in its natural habitat as it becomes some other animals dinner on an endless hierarchical road of food chain.

Northern flying squirrels are located all over most of the Canada's forested areas. They are active in all seasons, but they are nocturnal mammals, which mean that they are active during the night time. Their huge, black eyes are specially suited for night vision, which allows them to see perfectly clear in complete darkness.

Flying squirrels ration consist of fruits, nuts and little insects mostly. When keeping them as a pet, conceder a correct balanced diet, that the squirrel requires in order to stay healthy and live trough it entire life cycle.

If flying squirrels become a problem, and you want to get rid of it, conceder the same methods, as used to trap regular squirrel. Live traps are a good and humane way to deal with those gliding creatures. Live squirrels traps are easy to set up, and effective in work. You set up a trap in problematic areas, place appropriate bait, and if the squirrel will come in contact with it, the trap door will close, trapping the animal inside without any harm done to the little critter. The hassle arises when you have to extract captured squirrels away from your territory. You should drive them far away, to prevent the little brats from coming back to your property.

Also you might try using high pitch sound devices, or strobe lights. Hi pitch sound devices - electronic devices that produces a high pitch sound, that is unbearable to people or pets, but unbearable for squirrels. Those devices help to drive squirrels away from your territory, without harming them. Strobe lights instead will create flashing lights that will affect flying squirrels sensitive eyes, and drive them away from your territory without any major damage to the animal itself. Let us try to be friends with flying squirrels, and at least assure their safety in our day animal unfriendly environment.

Some of these squirrels are creating a lot of rodent similar problems to many homeowners across US and Canada, that's why there are many people seeking squirrel control services nowadays. However, this still doesn't mean that these flying beings aren't cute.