Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae

Siberian Flying Squirrel

Pteromys volans

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Siberian flying squirrel is the only gliding mammal in Europe. It stretches a membrane of skin between wrists and ankles and glides between trees, covering up to eighty metres. It is nocturnal and very unobtrusive, and feeds mainly on the catkins and buds of birch and alder. It needs mature woodland with hollow trees in which to nest, and its decline in Finland and the Baltic states has made its presence a legal criterion for restricting logging.

Weight

95 g – 170 g

Size

13 cm – 20 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestTundraHerbivore Nocturnal Solitary Temperate forest Tundra Mammal

11countries 4parks22same family

Fun facts

locomociónIt can glide more than 50 metres between trees on a membrane of skin (the patagium) stretched between its front and hind legs.
It is the only gliding mammal in Europe, and its presence in a Finnish stand legally requires logging to be limited, which has put it at the centre of a decades-long argument between conservation and the timber industry.
A cartilage rod at its wrist, known as the styliform, tensions the edge of the membrane in mid-glide and lets it adjust the wing surface as though it had a flap.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Mature mixed boreal forest with birch, aspen and conifers, and trees with hollows
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 30 days
Litter / clutch size: 2.6 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteromys_volans