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nest boxes scattered about the woods around our house.&nbsp; I gav --Apple-Mail-94--897412708 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Hans, It's almost certainly a northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). As far as I am aware the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is found in Nova Scotia only in Kejimkujik National Park and the valley of the Gaspereau River (http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/flying-squirrels.asp ). I'm not aware that there has ever been a record from the vicinity of Halifax. Also, both species are indigenous to Nova Scotia so their presence here can't be said to be "north of its range" since both species naturally occur in the province. Although southern flying squirrels are smaller (52-70 gm) than northern flying squirrels (75-139 gm) these are weights of adults and juveniles may, of course, be smaller. You'd have a very hard time separating the two in the field. There are nuanced differences in the skull and G. sabrinus has a longer cheek tooth row. The diagnostic difference is in the shape and size of the bacula (penis bone) of the males - not something that is apparent in the field. :-> A blue jay can weigh 2.4-3.5 oz (68-99 gm), however, you don't know how much the blue jay you have observed weighs, only that the flying squirrel weighs less, a weight range that would include adults of both species (and of course, juveniles weigh even less). Cheers! Chris On 3-Nov-10, at 11:02 AM, Bob McDonald wrote: > Interesting story, Hans. And how did you rule out the more common, > more widely distributed Northern Flying Squirrel? (We have had > these creatures, nibbling at the sunflower seed feeders overnight at > our current location in Clayton Park West.) > > Bob McDonald > Halifax > bobathome@eastlink.ca > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Hans Toom > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 8:16 AM > Subject: [NatureNS] Southern Flying Squirrel > > The Southern Flying Squirrel is well north of its range in Nova > Scotia although they have turned up in Halifax and other locations > in Nova Scotia. Whether this is range expansion or abandonment of > caged squirrels is unknown to me. Well, we have a Southern Flying > Squirrel visiting our sunflower feeder in the dark of night here in > Portugusese Cove. We have deduced this from its diminutive size and > by its weight. But how can you weigh the squirrel barks the skeptic? > > Our sunflower feeder is the counter balanced type designed > specifically to keep out pest species such as red squirrels and blue > jays. We balance the feeder to deter the blue jay and squirrel. > The front of the feeding tray closes when either of these species > land on the feeding bar. So far, so good, but the blue jay is > tenacious and they developed the nasty habit of flying up to the > tray and snapping up a sunflower seed as the trap door closed on > their bill. This is not a problem, seed consumption wise, but the > constant clanging of the feeder door opening and closing was driving > me crazy so I turned the feeder towards the house so that the > feeding platform is about 12 inches from the wall. This maneuver > defeated the blue jay and the silence made Hans happy! > > Now, the Southern Flying Squirrel lands on the feeder and the door > does not close! So we deduce that the squirrel must weigh less than > the blue jay. I looked up the weights of these species; the > squirrel weighs 1.8 to 2.5 ounces and the blue jay weighs 2.4- 3.5 > ounces. How's that for application of the scientific method?? > > I have three large roosting boxes and several nest boxes scattered > about the woods around our house. I gave up maintaining them since > the local red squirrels immediately occupy them and fill them with > grass to the lip of the entrance cavity. Next year I'll put up two > blue bird boxes on steel poles, and try again. > > > Hans Toom > Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada > http://www.hanstoom.com/ Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada * Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm * Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/ * Subject Editor: ZooKeys | http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index * Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html * Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html "Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet." - Charles Darwin --Apple-Mail-94--897412708 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi = Hans,<div><br></div><div>It's almost certainly a northern flying = squirrel (<i>Glaucomys sabrinus</i>). As far as I am aware = the southern flying squirrel (<i>Glaucomys volans</i>) is found in = Nova Scotia only in Kejimkujik National Park and the valley of the = Gaspereau River (<a = href=3D"http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/flying-squirrels.asp">= http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/flying-squirrels.asp</a>). = I'm not aware that there has ever been a record from the vicinity of = Halifax. Also, both species are indigenous to Nova Scotia so their = presence here can't be said to be "north of its range" since both = species naturally occur in the = province.</div><div><br></div><div>Although southern flying squirrels = are smaller (52-70 gm) than northern flying squirrels (75-139 gm) these = are weights of adults and juveniles may, of course, be smaller. You'd = have a very hard time separating the two in the field. There are nuanced = differences in the skull and <i>G. sabrinus</i> has a longer = cheek tooth row. The diagnostic difference is in the shape and size of = the bacula (penis bone) of the males - not something that is apparent in = the field. :-></div><div><br></div><div>A blue jay can weigh 2.4-3.5 = oz (68-99 gm), however, you don't know how much the blue jay you have = observed weighs, only that the flying squirrel weighs less, a weight = range that would include adults of both species (and of course, = juveniles weigh even = less).</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br></div><di