# Flying squirrels



## the_waterwolf

Long story short, my wife and I live in the city and on our security cameras we thought we were beginning to get rats at night in our yard. Far from that! They are Southern Flying Squirrels and our yard is loaded with them at night! Apparently they are the most common squirrel in Ohio, however they are nocturnal. We just got done watching them come down to the feeders on our oak tree behind our house. Such a neat creature!


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## matticito

Cat brought one home once in cleveland


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## Mickey

I've had one land within 2 ft. of me while filling the feeders at night here in Canton. My neighbors never knew they were here till I told them. They are very cool indeed! What city are you in?


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## the_waterwolf

I caught one in a live trap overnight, super cool little critters! The camera was tripped on at 3:36am and the neighborhood cat was attacking the cage within seconds. The squirrel was released unharmed and scurried up the tree. It was surprisingly calm when I opened the cage.

I'm in Toledo not far from the Michigan border.


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## Snakecharmer

Never saw one. Pretty cool.


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## One guy and a boat

I've seen two in my life both during daylight. ironically enough both were while I was squirrel hunting. And no I did not shoot them. Pretty amazing how far they can glide though.

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## Specwar

Had friends in the Midvale/Roswell area that had one as an i house pet several years ago. Filled an old Nestles Quick cardboard container with shredded felt and that’s where it slept during daylight hours. Would take food from your hand. Neat little creatures.


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## bdawg

I've seen them a couple of times right at dusk. Just saw the silhoette and thought, bat, no, bird, no...gotta be a flying squirrel! Only thing that would glide like that!

One time, we found a nest of them in the back woods under a pine tree. It had fallen out of the tree. 3 or 4 little babies in there. As we watched, the momma came back and picked up one at a time and took it to a new nest! One of the coolest things I've seen in the woods.


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## privateer

flying squirrels are coolest... have not seen once since had one in parent's house in western PA quite some years ago. it was flying around the living room driving the dogs crazy... it eventually headed out the door unharmed. i did not know they were common in OH. have not seen any at my lake house in NE OH. we have a family of really obnoxious fox squirrels that harass my dog there.


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## Snakecharmer

privateer said:


> flying squirrels are coolest... have not seen once since had one in parent's house in western PA quite some years ago. it was flying around the living room driving the dogs crazy... it eventually headed out the door unharmed. i did not know they were common in OH. have not seen any at my lake house in NE OH. we have a family of really obnoxious fox squirrels that harass my dog there.


Can they really fly? I thought they were just gliders.


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## mach1cj

Neighbors cat got one a few years back at my bird feeder. Found it the next day...graveyard dead!


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## PeterG7

I’ve seen a few on my property here in Ashtabula co.

I once cut a standing dead tree and when it hit the ground the top broke off, I didn’t see the den hole and when wood broke out popped a flying squirrel.

He blinked a few times then jumped to another tree and was gone.


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## sherman51

stuck my hand in a hole in a tree after one in tn when I was a kid in school. after it finally turned me loose I never tried catching another one. that thing ate me up.


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## Pooch

Last fall about 1:00 am I kept hearing this chirping sound that got my attention. Right outside my door I have a big oak tree. Kept hearing it so went and got the spotlight out and started looking. Low and behold I found 2 flying squirrels trying to run from the light. Instantly explained the scurrying sounds on the roof, lol. Then again this fall same calls around the same time every night. Never hear them the rest of the year. Had to look them up online first time I heard them. I never knew.


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## Snakecharmer

mach1cj said:


> Neighbors cat got one a few years back at my bird feeder. *Found it the next day...graveyard dead!*


Poor cat.


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## privateer

Snakecharmer said:


> Can they really fly? I thought they were just gliders.


ok, gliding from curtain to curtain... "flying"


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## Mattiba

Back when we used sap buckets for tapping trees we would occasionally get one that drown in the sap.


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## Bullet Bob

I have been in the woods pretty much my entire life and have never seen a flying squirrel, pretty amazing creatures. Hope one day to actually see one!


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## floater99

We had them in our back yard they were great entertainment


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## creekcrawler

They're more common than you think, especially if you have a lot of trees. But, how often do you look up in the trees for squirrels _at night? _I put out a little feeder for them years ago. We also have an upward facing flood light outside our bay window. It lights up there bellies when they glide by, they look like frisbess going past. Seen them drop/glide a good 100 ft across a ravine on the side of our house. They sound like a flock of birds when they move through the trees at night.

Here's a short video -


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## Mickey

Thanks for the great video creekcrawler! They are less common where I live and it's always a treat to see them.


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## amak1662

Snakecharmer said:


> Can they really fly? I thought they were just gliders.


Some also call them sugar gliders.


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## Mickey

amak1662 said:


> Some also call them sugar gliders.


Sugar Gliders are from Australia.


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## Mickey

amak1662 said:


> Some also call them sugar gliders.


Also found in New Guinea and Indonesia.


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## Fishballz

I have had issues with them getting in my attic the past few years in the fall/winter. It sounds like you there is a giant raccoon running around in the walls. I cannot figure out how they are getting in. We live in Cleveland hts and have allot of big trees in the yard. If you ever need to trap one, they seem to love chunky peanut butter!!! 

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