Flying squirrels come into play when they snack on these fungi. Bounding through a forest that has a treasure-trove of maturing truffles must be as mouth-watering as walking by a bakery that just finished baking the morning bread and donuts. Truffle aromas intensify as spores mature, ensuring animals are increasingly likely to find them as more become ready. When northern flying squirrels dig up and devour the tasty truffles, the fungal spores pass through their digestive system unharmed. Hours later they are deposited in a different part of the forest where they will germinate and form new fungal colonies together with other trees. For a flying squirrel, this can be a significant distance, especially if it was unlucky enough to itself be eaten by an owl. Truffle spores recovered from owl droppings show they can also survive their system.
Ultrasonic Night, Ultriolet NightFlying squirrels appear to be privy to a world totally inaccessible to us. Scientists he known for decades that they can produce vocalizations in the ultrasonic frequency, but it is still only the subject of theory as to why they do so. It is well known that bats utilize ultrasound for nigation and prey detection. Though never practically demonstrated, it has been theorized flying squirrels may also use ultrasound for nigation, albeit at a much coarser level than bats. Social interaction and pup rearing are other likely uses of the ultrasonic emissions.
Operating in a nocturnal environment, acoustic communication can be of more importance than visual cues. But what if their prime predator is also attracted by these communications? Good thing those ultrasonic chips are above the hearing range of owls. They can even warn other nearby squirrels of an owl’s presence without the owl hing any idea its cover has been blown.
Another fascinating trait of flying squirrels was only observed for the first time in 2019, and accidentally at that. Northland College professor Jon Martin was returning from a frog-florescence study one evening in Wisconsin, and absent-mindedly pointed his ultriolet flashlight at a flying squirrel he chanced upon at a bird feeder. Imagine his surprise when the squirrel glowed back at him in a neon bubblegum pink. Since then, science has been trying to figure out what, if any, benefits this may he for the squirrels. It’s entirely possible this fluorescence is a mere side effect of a compound in the squirrels’ fur and has no adaptive value at all, but where is the fun it that theory?
In their preferred habitat of deciduous and mixed forests, the low light conditions of dawn and dusk are awash in UV light. Snow-covered landscapes also reflect a significant amount of UV. One hypothesis is the UV reflection acts to camouflage them from, wait for it, those pesky owls again, ‘hoo’ (apologies) can detect UV light. By better blending in against fluorescing plants, lichens, or a background of snow, they may become a harder target for owls. Unique among squirrel species, the lens covering a flying squirrel’s eye lets UV radiation pass through to the retina, suggesting it could play some yet-to-be understood role in communication and/or mating.