In Central and East Asia's old forests, a rare mammal thrives in the conifers and deciduous trees. Famous for their ability to "fly," the Siberian flying squirrels range from the Baltic Sea in the West to the Pacific Coast in the East.
What is a Siberian Flying Squirrel?
The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) is an Old World flying squirrel that can be found across Eurasia. It is known for having a furry glide membrane that enables it to glide from one tree to another across almost a hundred meters.
These animals are difficult to spot since they are nocturnal and are usually high off the ground. The most common indicator of their presence is their droppings which look like orange-yellow rice grains, traditionally found below or on top of their nests.
Siberian flying squirrels spend most of their time gliding from tree to tree as they search for food. Their diet consists mainly of cones, leaves, berries, sprouts, seeds, buds, and nuts. When they collect plenty of alder and birch catkins, they may store them in old woodpecker holes or similar niches for the winter. They do not hibernate during the winter, but they may sometimes sleep continuously for many days.
How Do These Rodents Fly?
The long, graceful gliding of the flying squirrels has captured the interest of scientists at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. Research associate Brian Stafford performed research on flying squirrels and other gliding mammals. Using a wind tunnel made of steel and fiberglass, Stafford tried to discover how the critters do gliding and how their small bodies work to achieve it.
Despite its name, this flying squirrel does not fly or develop thrust. They cannot be seen catching a thermal and spiraling up into the sky. Instead, it uses its patagia, the skin membrane between its forelimbs and hindlimbs, to glide from tree to tree. It can soar up to 50 meters high, an impressive feature for a small mammal that only grows up to 23 centimeters long.
It was observed that the patagia produce lift and enable the Siberian flying squirrel to glide. What makes these wings more fascinating is their square shape which contrasts with artificial aircraft. Our modern planes were designed to be long and narrow since the early designs with square wings did not progress. This is because the square shape is not as efficient as limited designs in terms of drag.
The patagia of Siberian flying squirrel have a little flap like a winglet. Scientists observed that these flaps curl upward like the tips of aircraft wings. It is assumed that the slant reduces the amount of drag around the end of the branch. Another theory is that this curling of the winglet acts as a stabilizer or controller of the glide. There is also a belief that, like commercial planes, this feature increases flight efficiency and helps control and stabilize the glide. The latter is likely because the winglet is far from the center of gravity, creating an exaggerated effect.
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