Mammals
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans · also called southern flying squirrels
Inside a hollow tree trunk on a cold winter night, a dozen unrelated southern flying squirrels huddle together for warmth, a communal nesting strategy that helps this small nocturnal glider survive temperatures it would struggle with alone.
Overview
The southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans, is a small, nocturnal gliding rodent native to deciduous and mixed forest habitat across a broad range of the eastern United States and parts of Central America. Its distinctive communal winter huddling behaviour, silent gliding ability, and surprising comfort around human structures make it one of the more socially interesting nocturnal mammals found in the eastern forest.
Surviving winter through cooperation, not solitude
Rather than facing cold nights alone, the southern flying squirrel often shares a single tree cavity with a dozen or more unrelated individuals during winter, a communal strategy that turns shared body heat into a genuine survival advantage.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common across suitable deciduous forest habitat throughout the eastern United States.
Southern Flying Squirrel: common questions
Why do southern flying squirrels nest together in winter?
This species often nests communally in winter, with a dozen or more unrelated individuals sometimes huddling together in a single tree cavity to conserve body heat, a cooperative strategy that helps these small mammals survive cold weather more efficiently than nesting alone.
How is the southern flying squirrel different from the northern flying squirrel?
This species is somewhat smaller than the closely related northern flying squirrel and shows a greater tendency toward communal winter nesting, with the two species also generally occupying different, only partially overlapping ranges across North America.
Can the southern flying squirrel actually fly?
No, this species cannot achieve true powered flight and instead glides using a furred membrane called a patagium stretched between its front and hind limbs, steering its glide path with subtle movements of its limbs and flattened tail.
Does the southern flying squirrel ever live in buildings?
Yes, this species sometimes takes up residence in the attics of buildings located near forested areas, and it also readily uses artificial nest boxes provided by wildlife managers, showing more flexibility around human structures than some other nocturnal gliding mammals.