Kansas’ flying squirrels are a bit of a mystery. Researchers want to figure them out
A new study by Kansas State University researchers could help identify exactly where flying squirrels reside in Kansas.
Flying squirrels were previously just thought to be found in the very southeast portion of the state. But because they’re nocturnal and hide in trees, identifying where they live in the state can be tricky.
“They’re secretive, and you don’t know they’re there unless you’re looking for them,” said Adam Ahlers, an associate professor with Kansas State University.
That’s why Ahlers with Kansas State University is surveying areas of the state to see where they actually live.
“The southern flying squirrels are listed as a species in need of conservation in Kansas, and that’s simply because we really don’t know exactly where they occur, or anything that’s driving their population abundances,” Ahlers said.
The study’s goal is to identify the distribution of the southern flying squirrel in the state and find the factors that impact their survival and home range.
They’re sampling about 300 sites across the state. So far, 25% of the locations have been identified as places where southern flying squirrels can be found.
“Which really wasn’t surprising to me,” Ahlers said. “They’re more widespread than we already thought they were.”
Ahlers said having a map of areas where the species is is essential for biodiversity.
“Knowing where they’re at will help us better manage them and will also help us better understand how some landscape changes may be influencing their current distribution,” he said.
Jeff Prendergast, a small game specialist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, said knowing where the species live would help the department monitor changes in their habitats and ranges.
“Having those baselines so that as time and habitat changes occur ... it can help us knowing what the extent of the range now, 20 to 30 years from now, if something does happen we have more of an understanding,” Prendergast said.
This far into the study, Ahlers said they’ve been able to identify flying squirrels throughout Kansas City as well as Leavenworth and Elk City.
Quick facts about flying squirrels
The southern flying squirrel can be found living in the eastern United States, from Maine to Florida, Texas to Minnesota.
“They’re real common throughout the Ozarks, and they go quite a bit farther north,” Prendergast said. “But as far as Kansas .... the southeast [is where] they are and remain today.”
They can be found in forested areas and usually make their homes in trees, including abandoned nests and woodpecker holes, according to the National Wildlife Federation. As omnivores, these animals mainly eat seeds, fruit, insects and fungi. Their lifespan ranges from about five years in the wild to about 10 in captivity.
So, can these squirrels fly, like their name suggests? Not exactly.
While they are called “flying” squirrels, these squirrels can’t actually fly, but they can glide. They use a membrane positioned between their front and back legs. They can glide when launching themselves out of a tree by spreading their arms and legs.
