You may be fortunate enough to have flying squirrels living nearby and not even know it. They are nocturnal animals that feed in the trees more than on the ground. Unless it is an orphan needing help, flying squirrels should not be taken from the wild. In some states it may be legal to purchase flying squirrels as pets. These flying mammals do not really fly, they glide. The animals have loose skin called "patigum" that stretches when they extend their arms. This allows them to glide long distances as they travel from tree to tree.
Age and Species
If you have found an orphan flying squirrel than you know a baby will need milk for the first eight weeks. The only thing small enough to feed them with is an eye dropper. The first concern is dehydration. Offer small amounts of water with the dropper. Once the baby has taken water and relaxed you can try formula. Rehabilitation sites have feeding schedules and formula recipes. For flying squirrels the main ingredient will be puppy formula. Once a flying squirrel can feed itself, focus on foods the adults eat such as nuts and berries. You can help them by cracking nut shells and breaking up larger foods. Start with the softer more easily digested foods.
Study Their Habitat
Squirrels may survive on a minimal diet, but to be really healthy they need a broad variety of foods. If purchased as a pet find out what the breeder was feeding the baby squirrel. You can slowly add to its diet from that point. Add new foods one at a time. Watch to see if the squirrel is able to digest the food without difficulty. Keep all new foods in line with the squirrels native diet. Northern flying squirrels and Southern flying squirrels eat similar foods. The differences in their diet is due to habitat. The Northern species live in conifer forests so they eat immature seeds from pine and fir cones. They also eat lichen and fungi. These foods may be a little harder to duplicate in other regions. If you live in an area where truffles grow underground your squirrel will love them. They will also eat above ground mushrooms. Gather lichen, moss and cones as part of their bedding. There may even be some succulent insects among the fibers. A well rounded diet should include insects. In the wild flying squirrels eat spiders, moths, moth larvae and some beetles. Both species eat nuts, fruit, berries and insects. While they do not naturally forage for vegetables they like them and benefit from the vitamins. When food is scarce they will eat carrion and bark.
Go With the Changes
Raising a flying squirrel is a long term commitment. These animals can live 12 to 15 years. They can develop calcium deficiencies over time so place a calcium block in the cage. They must exercise to be healthy. A large cage is needed to allow flying squirrels to glide around. Bodies atrophy and function improperly without exercise. Physical activity stimulates the body to produce hormones and use vitamins and minerals properly. Due to rules and regulations, the majority of breeder raised flying squirrels are likely to be the smaller Southern species. Northern flying squirrels are larger and need more space. In nature they draw moisture from dew and rain and from the food they eat. Indoors they will need to have fresh water available at all times. This should be changed every day. A hanging bottle will be more sanitary than a dish.
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