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Flying squirrels Fossil range: Early Oligocene - Recent
Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae Subfamily: Sciurinae Tribe: Pteromyini Brandt, 1855
Genera
Aeretes Aeromys Belomys Biswamoyopterus Eoglaucomys Eupetaurus Glaucomys Hylopetes Iomys Petaurillus Petaurista Petinomys Pteromys Pteromyscus Trogopterus

The flying squirrels, scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini, are a tribe of squirrel (family Sciuridae). There are 43 species in this tribe, the largest of which is the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus). The 2 species of the genus Glaucomys (Glaucomys sabrinus and Glaucomys volans) are native to North America, and the Siberian flying squirrel is native to parts of northern Europe (Pteromys volans).

The term "flying" is somewhat misleading, since flying squirrels are actually gliders incapable of true flight. Steering is accomplished by adjusting tautness of the patagium, largely controlled by a small cartilaginous wrist bone. The tail acts as a stabilizer in flight, much like the tail of a kite, and as an adjunct airfoil when "braking" prior to landing on a tree trunk.

Though their lifespan is only about six years in the wild, flying squirrels often live between 10 and 15 years in captivity. This difference in lifespan is due to these creatures being important prey animals. Predation mortality rates in sub-adults are very high. Predators include arboreal snakes, raccoons, nocturnal owls, martens, fishers, coyotes, and the domestic house cat. In the Pacific Northwest of North America, the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) is a well-known predator. They are also nocturnal.

Southern flying squirrels have been kept as pets since the US colonial era.

A captive Southern flying squirrel eating a nut. Note the exceptionally long whiskers common in nocturnal mammals.

A Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) in flight.

Thorington and Hoffman (2005) recognize 15 genera of flying squirrels in 2 subtribes.

• Tribe Pteromyini - flying squirrels
  • Subtribe Glaucomyina
    • Eoglaucomys, 1 species, the Kashmir Flying Squirrel, (Eoglaucomys fimbriatus)
    • Glaucomys (American flying squirrels), 2 species, the Northern flying squirrel and the Southern flying squirrel, North America.
    • Hylopetes, 7 species, southeast Asia.
    • Iomys, 1 species, Horsfield's Flying Squirrel, Malaysia and Indonesia.
    • Petaurillus (pygmy flying squirrels), 3 species, Borneo and Malaya.
    • Petinomys, 9 species, southeast Asia.
  • Subtribe Pteromyina
    • Aeretes, 1 species, the Groove-toothed Flying Squirrel or North Chinese Flying Squirrel (A. melanopterus), northeast China.
    • Aeromys, 2 species, Thailand to Borneo.
    • Belomys, 1 species, the hairy-footed flying squirrel (B. pearsonii), southeast Asia.
    • Biswamoyopterus, 1 species, the Namdapha flying squirrel, India.
    • Eupetaurus, 1 species, the woolly flying squirrel, Kashmir; rare.
    • Petaurista (giant flying squirrels), 5 species, southeast Asia (including the Japanese giant flying squirrel, the Red giant flying squirrel, and the giant flying-squirrel).
    • Pteromys, 2 species, Finland to Japan (including the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel).
    • Pteromyscus, 1 species, the Smoky Flying Squirrel, southern Thailand to Borneo.
    • Trogopterus, 1 species, the complex-toothed flying squirrel, China.

• The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show - The Jet Age ace Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel
• Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland - Nemo's pet squirrel Icarus
• SegaSonic the Hedgehog - Ray The Flying Squirrel
• Happy Tree Friends - Splendid
• Samurai Champloo - Momo a Momonga, the pet of Fuu
• Monty Python's Flying Circus - A minor character in a sketch was called Flying Squirrel of the Yard.
• Decoder Ring Theatre - In The Red Panda Adventures, the Red Panda's sidekick is called "The Flying Squirrel"

The following are sometimes confused with flying squirrels:

• Colugos
• Petauridae - gliding possums
• Anomaluridae - scaly-tailed squirrels
• Sugar Glider - small gliding possums

Similarities between them result from convergent evolution.

For a general overview of all flying and gliding mammals see:

• Flying and gliding animals

• Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. Pp. 754-818 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

• FlyingSquirrels.com
• Animal Diversity Web: Pteromyinae, classification