Pam’s Perspective
Pam Otto is the Manager of Nature Programs and Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District
Working as a park safety officer for the St. Charles Park District, patrolling our public lands late into the night, Tim Timberlake has had plenty of close encounters. But only recently did he come across a bona fide UFO. Yep, an unidentified flying object, right above the parking lot at Norris Woods.
Well, maybe unidentified isn’t quite the right word. Unbelievable is more like it. But the more Tim watched the small, shadowy form, gliding silently among the trees, the more he became certain of what he thought he was seeing. That’s when he called the Naturalist Dept. for confirmation.
“Am I crazy?” he asked, inserting a pause almost too good to pass up, “Or do we have flying squirrels here?”
The answer, oddly enough, is a resounding “Yes!”
The northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, is by no means common in the TriCities. But there are certain pockets around town, particularly in areas with mature woods, where you maybe, just maybe, can catch a glimpse of these curious nocturnal creatures.
Scientifically speaking, northern flying squirrels are members of the order Rodentia, the same taxonomic group as our fox and gray squirrels, as well as other rodents like chipmunks, voles and mice. In fact, their genus name, Glaucomys, is derived from the Greek glaukos, meaning silver or gray, and mys, or mouse. (The species name, sabrinus, is Latin for river nymph and refers to the Severn River in Ontario, Canada, where the little guys were first noted and identified.)
Measuring about 7 or 8 in. in length (half of which is tail), a fully grown flying squirrel weighs just 3 oz.—about as much as much as a dog’s fabric Frisbee. Interestingly, just as flying discs don’t actually fly, but glide thru the air on the force of a throw, so goes the flying squirrel. It propels itself off of a tree branch or trunk, then extends its forelegs and back legs to spread its patagia—furry membranes that run between the limbs—and glides to its next landing spot.
Foraging throughout the night, flying squirrels tend to cluster where food sources are rich. Nut trees—all of which are experiencing a bumper crop this year—are common haunts, as are backyard birdfeeders. But like most wild creatures, the flying squirrel’s diet changes seasonally. Tree sap and blossoms are fair game in springtime, while berries are consumed in summer. Mushrooms are also on the menu, with truffles ranking high on the list of favorites.
When it comes time to call it a night, flying squirrels will head home, typically to a tree cavity or other such cavernous enclosure—like a bluebird box, wood duck box, screech owl box…or attic. It’s this latter option that sometimes gets these guys in trouble.
Flying squirrels often gather in groups, especially in winter to conserve body heat. Being rodents, they also tend to gnaw to customize their home’s interior. And, like any of us, they’re reluctant to step outside to potty if they can do so in the relative comfort of the indoors. All of these qualities, piled together in the confined space of an attic, add up to a stinky, destructive group of houseguests that usually require eviction.
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(Best advice: Prevention! Now’s the time to repair broken vents and gaps in your eaves. Leaving them unattended to is like putting out the welcome mat for flying squirrels, bats and all other critters that can squeeze through tight spaces.)
If your roof vents are in good repair and your eaves are gapless, yet you’d like to spot a flying squirrel, go ahead and try your luck at Norris Woods in St. Charles. Head there at dusk and keep an eye on the tree limbs surrounding the parking lot. But be sure to keep your other eye on your watch. The park closes promptly at 9 p.m.; stay after that and you may be setting yourself up for a close encounter of yet another kind–with Officer Timberlake.
A nocturnal creature herself, Pam Otto by day works as manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.