Glaucomys volans

112. Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans French: Petit Polatouche / German: Sidliches Gleithornchen / Spanish: Ardilla voladora meridional Other common names: Mexican Flying Squirrel; Florida Flying Squirrel (querceti), Small Eastern Flying Squirrel (volans), Southeastern Flying Squirrel (saturatus), Texas Flying Squirrel (texensis) Taxonomy. Mus volans Linnaeus, 1758, “Virginia, Mexico.” Restricted by D. G. Elliot in 1901 to Virginia, USA. Eleven subspecies are recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. G.v.volansLinnaeus,1758—ENorthAmericafromSOntario,SQuebecandNovaScotia(Canada)toCMinnesota,Wisconsin,andMichigan,NNewYorkState(LewisCounty),andSNewHampshireStoNorthCarolina(Raleigh),Tennessee(Nashville),andNArkansasandOklahoma(BostonMts),WtoENebraska(OtoeandNemahacounties)andEKansas(DouglasandWoodsoncounties),USA. G.v.chontaliGoodwin,1961—YautepecDistrict,Oaxaca(Mexico). G.v.goldmaniNelson,1904—HighslopesofChiapas(Mexico). G.v.guerreroensisDiersing,1980—SierraMadredelSur,Guerrero(Mexico). G.v.herreranusGoldman,1936—MtsofCMexico,inSTamaulipas,SESanLuisPotosi,Querétaro,Michoacan,Veracruz,andOaxaca(Mexico). G.v.madrensisGoldman,1936—WChihuahua,NWDurango,andSESonora(Mex-1CO). G.v.oaxacensisGoodwin,1961—PacificsideofSMexico,inthehighlandsofOaxaca. G.v.quercetiBangs,1896—PeninsularFloridaandthecoastalregionofSEGeorgia(USA). G.v.saturatusA.H.Howell,1915—SEUSA(exceptingPeninsularFloridaandthecoastregionofGeorgia)fromSouthCarolinaandWNorthCarolinaWtoCOklahomaandNintheMississippiValleytoSWKentucky. G.v.texensisA.H.Howell,1915—ETexastoWLouisiana(USA). G. v. underwoodi Goodwin, 1936 — Mts of S Guatemala and Honduras. Descriptive notes. Head-body 117-138 mm,tail 80-120 mm; weight 42-141 g. The Southern Flying Squirrel is distinguished from the Northern Flying Squirrel (G. sabrinus) by its smaller size and whitish base of ventral hairs. Despite differences in bacula and reports of chromosome differences, zone of hybridization between the two species has been reported in Ontario, Canada, and Pennsylvania, USA. Hybrids are intermediate in size and pelage characteristics. The Southern Flying Squirrel is small, usually weighing ¢.60 g. Nominate wvolans has grayish brown dorsum; white, cream, or yellowish venter; dark brownish edge of dorsal and ventral surfaces of patagium; gray head; white cheeks; and dorsal pelage consists of fine dense fur. Subspecies chontali is the most brightly colored subspecies, with its upper parts ocherous tawny and dorsal surface of patagium blackish brown; dorsal surface oftail is similar in color to back, but darker; underparts are white, with pinkish buff tinge on underside of limbs; and ventral surface of tail is clear cinnamon buff. Subspecies goldmaniis relatively large, with sayal brown upper parts; underparts are creamy white, irregularly washed with pinkish buff. Subspecies guerreroensis is the darkest of the Mexican and Central American flying squirrels; it is dark brownish dorsally, blackish on upper patagium, and creamy white on venter. Subspecies herreranus is similar in color to goldmani, but it is darker; upper part of patagium is deep glossy black. Subspecies madrensis is similar in color to fexensis, but it is paler, with upper parts overlain with buffy gray; underparts are white, tinged with pale buff on underside of patagium. Subspecies oaxacensis is similar to goldmani, but oaxacensis is paler dorsally, with pinkish buff tone. Subspecies querceti is darker than volans but lighter than saturatus; toes are not conspicuously white. Subspecies saturatus has darker upper parts, snuff brown to brown; toes are also not conspicuously white. Subspecies texensis has more ocherous upper parts, wood-brown with yellowish tinge varying to drab, less dark than in saturatus. Subspecies underwoodis similar in color to goldmani, but it is pale sayal brown. Habitat. Oak-hickory (Quercus, Fagaceae, and Carya, Juglandaceae) forests producing hard mast. In the northern part ofits distribution, the Southern Flying Squirrel occurs in mixed deciduous-conifer forests. In the southern Appalachian Mountains, it occurs at elevations as high as 1500 m. From Mexico southward, it usually inhabits oak-conifer associations in mountains at elevations of 1200-3000 m. It is also common in coastal pine (Pinus, Pinaceae) and oak associations in the eastern and south-eastern USA. It prefers areas with high densities of shrubs, reduced understory cover, and more tree cavities. Food and Feeding. The Southern Flying Squirrel feeds mostly on nuts, seeds, and fruits, but it also eats fungi, lichens, moss, and bark. It is considered by some to be highly carnivorous. Nuts and seeds are scatter-hoarded on the ground and larderhoarded in trees or nests. Breeding. Although two breeding seasons of the Southern Flying Squirrel are reported, the same females probably do not regularly breed during both seasons. Parturition occurs in spring (April-May) and late summer (August-September), gestation is c.40 days, and young are hairless and weigh 3-5 g at birth. Litters have 2-7 young but usually average c.4 young. Young may stay with their mothers beyond the normal eight weeks if conditions warrant. Activity patterns. The Southern Flying Squirrel is exclusively nocturnal. It shows a resting metabolic rate 33-38% lower than predicted by its body mass; however,less than 20% of this reduction is compensated for by thermoregulatory advantages gained from communal nesting. The Southern Flying Squirrel relies on non-shivering thermogenesis, which is negatively correlated with ambient temperatures and peaks in winter. Higher energetic costs, coupled with reduced food supply, probably influence northern limits of the distribution. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Tree cavities are preferred for nesting, and two or more nests are usually maintained simultaneously, although one normally serves as the primary nest. Nest aggregations as high as dozens of individuals occur primarily in northern regions for thermoregulatory benefits. Such nest aggregations often consist of close relatives, which may reduce costs of intraspecific competition among nest mates. The Southern Flying Squirrel also competes with tree squirrels for nest structures, and where the two Glaucomys species are sympatric, it may exclude the Northern Flying Squirrel (G. sabrinus) from tree cavities. The Southern Flying Squirrel may live as long as ten years in captivity. Densities are 2-12 ind/ha. Two studies listed mean home ranges of 2-4 ha and 7-8 ha for adult males and 1-9 ha and 3-8 ha for adult females. One study noted a mean home range of 0-61 ha forjuveniles. At least two studies reported on homing abilities of Southern Flying Squirrels, noting homing distances of 1-1-6 km. The Southern Flying Squirrel will frequently move through tree canopies by means of gliding. Glides of up to 90 m are possible. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Current population trend of the Southern Flying Squirrel is stable. Local threats include habitat loss and destruction of mast and cavity producing trees. It has been hypothesized that the generally non-overlapping distributions of the Southern Flying Squirrel and the Northern Flying Squirrel result from parasite-mediated competitive exclusion because the nematode Strongyloides robustus, a common parasite of the Southern Flying Squirrel, is potentially lethal to the Northern Flying Squirrel. Recent parasite surveys from the north-eastern part of the two species’ distributions show that where the two are sympatric, they both host S. rbustus, but 100 km further north, where only the Northern Flying Squirrel is found, the parasite appears to be absent. Habitat changes that limit connectivity are detrimental to the Southern Flying Squirrel due to its unwillingness to travel on the ground and limited glide distance. Bibliography. Bendel & Gates (1987), Bishop (2006), Bowman et al. (2005), COSEWIC (2006), Day & Benton (1980), Dolan & Carter (1977), Elliot (1901), Garroway et al. (2010), Hall (1981), Harlow & Doyle (1990), Healy & Brooks (1988), Holmes & Austad (1994), Jackson (2012), Jackson & Thorington (2012), Krichbaum et al. (2010), Lavers et al. (2006), Laves & Loeb (1999), Leung & Cheng (1997), Linzey & Linzey (1979), Mahan et al. (2010), Medlin & Risch (2006), Merritt et al. (2001), Patrick (1991), Risch & Brady (1996), Risch & Loeb (2004), Sawyer & Rose (1985), Stapp (1992), Stapp et al. (1991), Stone, Heidt, Baltosser & Caster (1996), Stone, Heidt, Caster & Kennedy (1997), Thorington, K.K. et al. (2010), Thorington, R.W. et al. (2012), Tyler & Donelson (1996), Weig (1968, 1978).

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