Flying Squirrels in the South

Probably not the only one, but lots of folks know. They used to be fairly common pets, cute little fellas and quicker than a cat.

I've caught several, but always let them go. They are nocturnal so you usually don't see them.

My cat caught one. I’ve lived there 20 years and never seen them, otherwise. Old neighbor used to keep some in a big wire cage back home.

I'm 34 years old and I wanted to bring the damn things home with me lol

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little squeak/whistle sound

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Once you learn this sound you might be amazed at how many there are. Just walk around in some hardwood and listen for the sqweek or shine a flashlight into the trees looking for little reflective eyes.

I didn't know we had them for most of my childhood. Then someone pointed out the above and I was shocked at how many there are.

Cool as shite to see them "fly"(glide).

I just youtubed the sound they make, it's definitely a sound i've heard a million times. Just never thought about what was making it...

When I was about 14 my dad showed me how to make a trap to catch them and it worked. The first one I caught bit the crap out me when I took it out of my trap.I kept several for pets but they were hard to keep in a cage.Those suckers could squeeze through a really small opening.They would end up in my chest of drawers nesting in my clothes.

Climb in a box before daylight that has a fee in it. They're a lot less cute then

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"I'd rather have a daughter in a whore house than a son at Ole Miss"

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Most of my buddies up there either farmed or guided hunts.

Anyway, in Oxford we had a nest of them that lived in our chimney (loud as hell) and would fly out every evening. Watching them glide down 20ft and stick to the trunk of a pecan tree was cool, we'd sit out there with an ice chest and pellet gun and take bets.

In-flight only. No Chimney shots. No tree shots.

We have nest of them in the back yard. Every spring the cat catches/kills a few of them. We have saved several and taken to a wild animal rehab that released them after a few weeks.

I have video somewhere of the grown flying squirrel fighting with a woodpecker over the nest. The squirrel took over the cavity in the tree the woodpecker made.

I have a cute story about them.

When I was very young, my dad was coming home from work and saw a large branch that had fallen in the road. He noticed a nose duck back down inside a hole in it. So, he knew what was happening. He plugged the hole up and brought it home. Then he dumped a momma and several tiny babies out of it into an aquarium we had. We set the nest and babies up inside a coffee can.

I thought it was great. I was going to have some pet flying squirrels! The next morning, the momma was gone. She escaped out of whatever jerry-rigged lid we'd put on the aquarium. I don't remember how she got out of the house. Maybe we had windows open or something. Obviously there was no internet back then. I remember my mom trying to give them some kind of milk. And they all DIED within a day or two. The end.

But, I did always want one for a pet.