Flying Squirrels
By: Corey Evers
What are flying squirrels?
The Southern Flying Squirrel is a quite unique creature. He has a "gliding membrane" that stretches from the feet, all the way to the hands of the animal. It lives high up in trees in many deciduous forests, and can jump and fly to many different trees. It eats bugs, nuts, and berries that are up in the trees they live in. They are unique to their environment because of their gliding ability, they jump from tree to tree, and extend their arms and legs to form a wind suit, and then they latch onto the tree with their tiny paws. These extraordinary creatures have become threatened and endangered in Iowa.
Where does the Southern Flying Squirrel inhabit?
Southern Flying Squirrels are found in southeastern Canada, the eastern United States, and south as far as Mexico and Honduras. They have a Nearctic distribution.
Why are they important to Iowa's biodiversity
They are very important to Iowa's biodiversity because they disperse seeds of plants. They carry seeds that are caught in their fur and they fall off of them. This creates a wide spread of plant species and diversity among plants and crops.
How can we preserve these animals?
They are mostly losing their habitats to cities and suburbs being built. They're homes and torn down to create human housing. One way we can stop the inevitable loss of these animals in Iowa is to not tear down areas in which they inhabit. This will cause their population to grow and for them to thrive in their ecosystems.
Why will they ultimately benefit Iowa?
Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to look at my project over Southern Flying Squirrels. I hope you find my presentation interesting and informative.