18 RODENTS OP IOWA 



Flying squirrels are more or less gregarious and make their 

 nests of moss and leaves in hollow trees. Often, when such a tree 

 is disturbed, several of these little gray fellows will scamper out 

 and sail away to another tree. Many abandoned red-bellied or 

 red-headed woodpeckers' nests are inhabited by families of these 

 squirrels, and a single tree may contain several families. The young 

 are from four to six in number and are said to make interesting 

 pets. 



Contrary to some observations it is not probable that flying squir- 

 rels really hibernate during the winter, although they do remain 

 in their nests during severe weather; but their sleep is easily 

 broken, and upon being aroused from the nest they are apparently 

 as active as ever. 



The food of flying squirrels consists for the most part of seeds,, 

 nuts, acorns, corn, insects, and sometimes of birds' eggs and even 

 of the young birds themselves. However, they >can scarcely be said 

 to l*e sufficiently plentiful in any locality to cause serious harm 

 and should not be slaughtered indiscriminately. Neither should it 

 be considered good form to hold as captives and merely for the 

 amusement of the possessor any of these handsome little animals. 



FIG. 1. Map showing locality records of 



1. Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans volans). 



Specimens are at hand from the following localities : Iowa City r 

 Wayland, Knoxville, Wall Lake, Ft. Dodge, Iowa Falls, Humboldt, 

 Moscow, Steamboat Rock, Dubuque, Thayer, Colfax, Cedar Rapids, 



