Mark Thompson, age 10, of Man, W. Va., for his question:
WHAT ARE FLYING SQUIRRELS?
Once upon a time in Never Never Land, a curious character invented a very comfortable and convenient way to travel. He went from here to there on a flying carpet. Most people refuse to believe in flying carpets. But if they saw a flying squirrel in action they just might change their minds.
The expert fliers of the animal world are birds and insects. Fishes are supposed to swim, and the furry mammals are supposed to walk around on their four feet. Naturally, there are few exceptions to these general rules. Bats are flying mammals with umbrellas of skin that work like flappable wings. The flying squirrels have no true wings. But they love to swoop through the forests like floating parachutes. There are several of these fluffy flying carpets and one of the prettiest ones lives in North America.
He has big bright eyes, small ears and the usual squirrel type tail. His fluffy coat reaches down his sides to his wrists and ankles. And when he spreads his arms and legs he becomes a flat fur rug. His total length is about 12 inches, though he weighs only a few ounces. When he launches himself from a tree top, the breezes help him to glide safely down like a flat furry parachute.
Our flying squirrels come forth at night to forage for food, but turn this work into play. Their favorite game is follow the leader. First one, then another scrambles to the top of a tree. First one, then another launches himself into the air and glides down to the foot of another tree, perhaps 20 feet away.
The merry game goes on through the starry night scrambling up the trees and floating down to land with gentle plops. Now and then the playful squirrels find a supply of nuts, and the game stops while they pause to dine.
Some people claim that the flying squirrel is not a true flier because he has no flappable wings. But neither does a kite or an airplane. Since we say that these objects fly, surely we can say the same for the frisky flying squirrel, who travels like an impossible flying carpet.