Behavioral Adaptions
The behavioral adaption for the flying squirrel are cavity nesters, using their nest throughout the year. These squirrels often use cavities that were originally excavated by woodpeckers, sometimes even causing woodpeckers to abandon the nest. Entrance holes to the squirrel nests are generally larger than one inch in diameter and the cavity is lined with bark and leaves. These rodents typically breed twice a year—once in late winter, and again in mid to late summer. The litter ranges from one to six, but often contains only two to three young, weighing only a quarter of an ounce each at birth. The nestlings are able to glide eight weeks later.