Pixie was acquired July 1, 2001 .  This little girl was captive raised at a science centre in Sudbury and was donated to our centre when she was less than 2 months old.

Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)

Dining and Dwelling

These little gliders prefer seeds; also tree buds, bark, leaves, lichens, fruits, nuts, tiny soil fungi, maple sap, insects, bird eggs and fledglings.

Flying squirrels are found in heavily wooded areas primarily composed of coniferous species and northern hardwoods such as spruce, cedar, hemlock, or yellow birch habitats. These nocturnal creatures nest during the day in cavities and holes made by woodpeckers or in old leaf nests.

Life and Death

A female can give birth the spring after she is born (at 9 months old). After a gestation of 37 days she will give birth to 2-6 young. In the summer the mother will defend her territory from other squirrels, of both sexes. Males are less territorial and often overlap territories with other males. They do not hibernate and have been seen active in temperatures as low as –24 C.

They are prey to many animals, such as, owls, hawks, weasels, martens, lynx, bobcat, domestic cat, foxes, wolves and trout.

That's Amazing

-Flying squirrels can glide as far as 90 metres (270 feet) in a single glide.

-They are sometimes referred to as ‘fairy diddlers’.