The northern flying squirrel is found in coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across the top of North America, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and west to Utah. Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal. Except when they have young, they change nests frequently, and in winter a number of individuals may huddle together in a shared nest. They mostly breed once a year in a cavity lined with lichen or other soft material. They feed on a variety of plant material as well as tree sap, fungi, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings. They are proficient gliders but uncoordinated walkers on the ground. They are light brown with pale underparts and grow to a length of 25 to 37 cm (10 to 15 in). They are found in coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across much of Canada, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, and south to the mountains of North Carolina and west to Utah in the United States. The northern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys sabrinus) is one of three species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America. Grey squirrels are not affected, but act as carriers, spreading the virus to red squirrels in the vicinity.Range (excludes Glaucomys oregonensis) A second reason is the Para-poxvirus, which causes a fatal infection in red squirrels. This allows it to out-compete the red squirrel, which has lower survival and breeding rates. The introduced grey squirrel has been so successful in displacing its native cousin partly because it is bigger and stronger, able to find more food and store more fat in its body for winter. Even so, many caches remain uneaten each year allowing the seeds and nuts to grow, so helping to disperse the tree’s seeds through the woodland. They have a highly-developed spatial memory and acute sense of smell, which aid them in finding the caches even weeks or months later. Squirrels collect nuts and seeds in the autumn and bury them in many scattered hiding places or caches around the wood. The drey is usually lined with moss, thistledown, dried grass, and feathers. Grey squirrels build a large, untidy looking nest (drey), in the treetops or hollow tree trunks. The young are weaned at 7 weeks and leave the nest after 10 weeks. The fi rst litter of 2-6 pups is born in February to March, the second in June to July. Grey squirrels breed twice a year, December to February and May to June. However, on rare occasions when plant food is very scarce they will eat insects, smaller rodents, bird eggs and nestlings. Grey squirrels are mainly herbivorous, eating acorns, hazel nuts, berries, fungi, buds and shoots, and even bark. However, in winter they are far less active, sleeping for long periods, sometimes several days at a time, and they are less frequently spotted during this season. Grey squirrels do not hibernate, so may be seen at all times of the year. It is one of the few mammals which can climb head fi rst down a tree. It is a superb climber, moving rapidly through the trees and leaping between them with ease. It is active during the day, spending most of its time in the trees, but often coming down to the ground to search for food. The grey squirrel can be found in a wide range of habitats, including deciduous, mixed deciduous/coniferous woodland, suburban parks and domestic gardens. The hind legs are bigger and more powerful than the front legs. It is up to 30cm long with a bushy tail almost as long as the body. As its name suggests, this squirrel typically has a grey coat with white undersides, though the coat colour can also be quite brown.
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