CreatureData

Northern flying squirrel

Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801)

LCLeast Concernrodents

The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) is a species in the family Sciuridae, order Rodentia. Recorded adults weigh 148 g to 166 g and live up to 13 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Photo: FWS · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the northern flying squirrel

Weight
148 g – 166 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
13 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Herbivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
14.2 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
35 days – 42 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
2 – 4src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
7.83 monthssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Arborealsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the northern flying squirrel live?

Not recorded

What is the northern flying squirrel?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) is one of three species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America. They are found in coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across much of Canada, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to the mountains of North Carolina and west to Utah in the United States. They are light brown with pale underparts and grow to a length of 25 to 37 cm (10 to 15 in). They are proficient gliders but uncoordinated walkers on the ground. The species feeds on a variety of plant material as well as tree sap, fungi, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings. They mostly breed once a year in a cavity lined with lichen or other soft material. Except when they have young, they change nests frequently, and in winter a number of individuals may huddle together in a shared nest. Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal.

From the Wikipedia article “Northern flying squirrel” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northern_flying_squirrel&oldid=1384639506), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the northern flying squirrel endangered?

The northern flying squirrel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the northern flying squirrel classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderRodentia
  5. familySciuridae
  6. genusGlaucomys
  7. SpeciesGlaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801)

Synonyms Pteromys canadensis, Sciurus hudsonius, Sciurus sabrinus

Other names and names in other languages (16)
  • Carolina flying squirrelEnglish
  • Carolina flying squirrelEnglish
  • poletuška severníCzech
  • Nördliches GleithörnchenGerman
  • Βόρειος Ιπτάμενος ΣκίουροςGreek
  • Ardilla voladora norteñaSpanish
  • kanadanliito-oravaFinnish
  • grand polatoucheFrench
  • Északi repülőmókusHungarian
  • オオアメリカモモンガJapanese
  • 북부하늘다람쥐Korean
  • Canadese Vliegende EekhoornDutch
  • zhagashkaandaweOjibwa
  • assapan północnyPolish
  • Esquilo-voador-do-nortePortuguese
  • Северная летягаRussian

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the northern flying squirrel

Other species in the same genus Glaucomys.

CompareNorthern flying squirrel vs Southern flying squirrel

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the northern flying squirrel?

An adult northern flying squirrel weighs 148 g – 166 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the northern flying squirrel endangered?

The northern flying squirrel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the northern flying squirrel live?

The northern flying squirrel has a recorded lifespan of 13 years.

How long is the northern flying squirrel pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 35 days – 42 days.

What kind of animal is the northern flying squirrel?

The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) belongs to the family Sciuridae in the order Rodentia.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/northern-flying-squirrel

MLA

“Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/northern-flying-squirrel.

BibTeX
@misc{northern_flying_squirrel_2026,
  title = {Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/northern-flying-squirrel},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}