Carolina+Northern+Flying+squirrel

Collin Kennedy Common Name: Carolina Northern Flying squirrel Scientific Name: Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus Nickname: Flying Squirrel

The Carolina Northern Flying squirrel is a mammal and is considered to be a rodent. This particular squirrel can be up to about 12 inches in length and weigh less than a pound. Usually has a gray/white coloration. Lives in the trees of the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee in heavily wooded areas. Typically survives off of fungi, lichens, small insects, seeds, etc. Squirrels give live birth to a small litter of newborn squirrels.

The Carolina Northern Flying squirrel has only been reported in the mountainous regions of North Carolina and Tennessee, so only in the United States in North America. They typically nest in high elevation trees Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels have been known to nest inside of tree cavities during extremely cold weather, but are very cold tolerant so they do not hibernate. Ultimately the Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels largest enemy is the Hemlock Woolly adelgid, though not a direct predator, still has a massive impact on the Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel.

The Carolina Northern Flying squirrel has become endangered due to a changing environment. This variety of squirrel is most sustainable in rather high elevations which makes up a very small portion of the mountainous portions of North Carolina and Tennessee. These high elevation areas contain coniferous trees that the squirrels live in or on, and an exotic insect is destroying the coniferous trees, leaving the Carolina Northern Squirrel with very few places to live.

More than 1,000 nest boxes have been installed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in order to aid the Carolina Northern Flying squirrel in reproducing and sustaining life with a place to nest and live. A fund has been developed in North Carolina in order to protect endangered species in North Carolina, including the Carolina Northern Flying squirrel called the "N.C. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund." The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission is mostly responsible for preventing the Carolina Northern Flying squirrel from becoming extinct.

http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A09M http://www.ncwildlife.org/Wildlife_Species_Con/documents/nongame_noflysquirrel_lores.pdf http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/flysquir_p8.htm