David South, age 9, of Tucson, Arizona, for his question:
Does the flying squirrel really fly?
The furry little charmer does not fly by flapping his wings. But then, neither does an airplane. If by flying we mean to flap a pair of wings like a bird, then the flying squirrel does not fly ‑ and neither does an airplane. He does, however, soar through the air like a glider or maybe a parachute. Perhaps the best way to describe his behavior is to say that he resembles a small but luxurious flying, carpet.
Our little flying squirrel is a beautiful animal. He is friendly and very playful. But his friends are limited to relatives and his playing is done in the dead of night. There may be troupes of performing flying squirrels in the copse near dour house. Chances are you may never catch a glimpse of them.
The entire body of this trapeze artist weighs only a few ounces. It is covered with silkiest fur from which peeps a pair of bright dark eyes. There is also a fluffy squirrel tail, but it tends to be flat for it forms part of the, f lying carpet. When you see the fluffy charmer standing or sitting, he looks like a ball of fur without feet or legs. This fact also contributes to the flying carpet.
Oh yes the little fellow has feet and legs ‑ four of each. But he has extra strips of skin from the sides of his body fixed to his legs as far down as his wrists and ankles. These strips of skin on either side are covered with dense fur. He resembles a horse wearing a long blanket which reaches down to the ground.
The flying squirrel can spread out arms and legs to the sides of his body. He is then a flat carpet with a furry nose in front and a fluffy tail behind. He is so light that this flying carpet acts like a parachute. It floats rather than plummets to the ground. And this is the extent of the flying done by the flying squirrel. The little fellow swoops down to the around in a gentle slope.
For this reason, the little acrobat is careful to launch himself high in the air. He climbs to the top of a tree. Then he leaps, spreading out his arms and legs. Down he comps in a gentle curve using his tail as a rudder to steer the flight. He lands with a slight plop at the foot of another tree.
A troupe of flying squirrels play follow the leader far into the night. One fellow leads the way, the rest follow at regular intervals. The game starts from a tree top. The leader takes off and lands at the base of a tree some distance away, As he starts to scamper up the trunk, the second squirrel lands where he landed. Then comes a third and fourth until a chain of the little acrobats is flying through the trees. Meantime the leader has selected a third tree and started the downward flight.
The game may be also a hunting party. For the little charmers do their hunting at night. The acrobatic fun pauses now and again. This is when the leader has found a supply of nuts and the whole party sets down to munch a banquet.