Humboldt's flying squirrel
Humboldt's flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis) is one of three species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America. The squirrel was named after the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt and California's Humboldt County, which is one of the areas inhabited by the squirrel.[2]
Taxonomy[edit]
Using genetic analyses, Arbogast et al. (2017)[2] showed that Humboldt's flying squirrel, previously thought to be conspecific with the northern flying squirrel, was actually a distinct species. The San Bernardino flying squirrel subspecies (G. o. californicus) is considered a Critically Imperiled Subspecies by NatureServe.[3]
Diet and behaviour[edit]
They feed on a variety of plant material as well as tree sap, fungi, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings. They mostly breed once a year in a cavity lined with lichen or other soft material. Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal.[8] They nest in the tops of the trees away from the ground and predators.