| Siberian flying squirrel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| inPrimorsky Krai, Russia | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Pteromys |
| Species: | P. volans |
| Binomial name | |
| Pteromys volans | |
| Subspecies | |
| |
 | |
| Siberian flying squirrel range | |
| Synonyms | |
Sciurus volansLinnaeus, 1758 | |
TheSiberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) is anOld World flying squirrel ranging from theBaltic Sea in the west, throughout Northern Asia to the coast of thePacific Ocean in the east. It is the only species of flying squirrel inEurope and is considered vulnerable in theEuropean Union where it occurs only inEstonia andFinland.[2] InLatvia, it was last sighted in 2001 and has been considered to belocally extinct since 2013.[3]
A female Siberian flying squirrel weighs about 150grams, the males being slightly smaller on average. The body is 13–20 cm long, with a 9–14 cm long flattened tail. The eyes are large and strikingly black. The coat is grey all over, the abdomen being slightly lighter than the back, with a black stripe between the neck and the forelimb. A distinctive feature of flying squirrels is the furry glide membrane orpatagium, a flap of skin that stretches between the front and rear legs. By spreading this membrane the flying squirrel may glide from tree to tree across distances of over a hundred meters, and have been known to record aglide ratio of 3.31, but is normally 1-1.5.[4]
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Its diet consists ofleaves,seeds,cones,buds,sprouts,nuts andberries.[5][6] Local hunters claim that they occasionally eat birdeggs and nestlings, however, there is no evidence of this behavior.[5] Whenalder andbirchcatkins are plentiful, the squirrel may store them for the winter in oldwoodpecker holes or similar nooks.[citation needed]
They mate early in the spring. In southernFinland the first mating season begins in late March, with a second mating season occurring in April. After a gestation period of five weeks, the female gives birth to a litter of usually two or three young, each weighing about 5 grams.[7] They preferentially build their nest in holes made by woodpeckers, but they may also nest inbirdhouses if the size of the entrance is appropriate. The nest consists of a pile of soft materials (preferably softbeard lichen) into which the squirrel burrows. They can live up to about five years.
The nominate subspecies,P. v. volans is widespread across theNorthern Palearctic (specifically fromNorthern Europe,Siberia andEast Asia), while other subspecies have limited distribution, withP. v. athene known fromSakhalin,P. v. buechneri known fromChina andP. v. orii known fromHokkaido.[8] They favor old forests with a mix ofconifers anddeciduous trees. They are mostlynocturnal, being most active late in the evening, although females with young may also feed during the day. They do nothibernate, but in the winter they may sometimes sleep continuously for several days. As shy and nocturnal animals, they are seldom seen. The most common sign of their presence is their droppings, which resemble orange-yellow rice grains and are often found beneath or on top of their nest.
The squirrels are preyed upon bymartens,hawks,owls,dogs andcats.
It is the emblem ofNuuksio National Park inEspoo municipality ofFinland due to the density of the population in this region.[9]
In Estonia, the Siberian flying squirrel is depicted on the logo of theEstonian Nature Fund.[10]
In Finland and especially the Baltic states, the Siberian flying squirrel has been at risk potentially becoming an endangered species.P. volans is alreadyextirpated fromLithuania. Since 1996, it was also considered extinct inBelarus, until being spotted again in 2017, with more than 80 habitats subsequently discovered in far northern regions of the country in 2019.[11] Acts that are believed to be contributors to the decrease in the population size arehabitat fragmentation, climate, and habitat loss in places they reside like boreal forests and old-spruce-dominated forests.[12] Because Finland is a member of the European Union, the squirrel is under the protection of the EU's 1992 Habitats Directive. The EU, Finland and Estonia have responded with a six-year, 8.9 million euro project to help protect the squirrel.[13]
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