Chapter 11

The Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel is in the Animalia kingdom, Chordata phylum, Vertebrata subphylum, Mammalia class, Rodentia order, Sciuridae family, Glaucomys genus, and sabrinus species, fuscus subspecies.

The Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel has adapted multiple methods to adapt to their environment. To survive the winter, the squirrels have developed community habits and cluster together in groups of 2-5 on average, but have been seen to cluster into a group of up to 50. Of course, the most notable adaptation of the squirrel is its membrane that stretches from their wrist to their ankle, which allows them to glide from tree to tree. With this membrane they don’t have to use the ground to reach new trees, thus are less susceptible to attacks from predators. An unknown trait of the squirrel is their ability to find truffles. They are able to find the truffles using visual clues and by remembering where truffles were found last, as well as searching for them by smell.

The trait that can be utilized and exploited for profit is definitely the ability to find truffles. Truffles are a delicacy in the culinary world that can be sold for large sums of money. Currently, pigs and dogs are used to retrieve truffles, and maintenance costs for these animals may not outweigh the price of finding truffles, but it can be dramatically reduced by using squirrels instead. Squirrels are supremely easier to take care of than either dogs or pigs, and require substantially less food.

To exploit this trait of the squirrel, we would have to utilize selective breeding. To do this we’ll test out the ability to search for truffles of many of these squirrels with timed trials, and then only allow the best of these to breed. From the offspring we will repeat the process until we are able to produce a squirrel capable of locating truffles expediently.

I don’t believe there would be a possibility of an offshoot species because while we are breeding them only for their smell, which doesn’t affect their mating or social habits.

In all, I think that this is a wonderful idea, and should be exploited to its fullest. By exploiting these squirrels with selective breeding we can gain profits for the company without harming the species at all. We actually may be able to increase the species’ ability to forage. This idea could place this company in an extremely equitable position. When the squirrels are refined people will be clamoring to purchase some for their own farms, but I think that the best way of working this is to use our squirrels to find truffles and sell them ourselves.

Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus)

Who isn’t interested in a flying squirrel? You are because you’re here!

The Virginia Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus) is actually considered rodents and tends to be gray or brown in hue with silvery fur on their underbellies. Also, the squirrels don’t actually fly; they have a membrane between their wrists and ankles, called a patagium, which they use to glide from tree to tree. The squirrel is nocturnal, so they share the features of other nocturnal animals, such as large eyes and long whiskers.

The squirrel makes in the holes of trees, either natural or those made by woodpeckers. They may also create nests out of twigs, bark, and other items to soften it. They make their nests anywhere from 1 to 18 meters off of the ground, and the forests they tend it inhabit tend to be diverse mix of trees with abundant growth. They also like to nest in trees with denser canopies to protect them from predators and extreme temperatures. The squirrels live in small communities, generally staying in clusters of 2-5, but have been seen with up to 50 living together. The squirrels don’t hibernate during the winter, so to stay warm they must huddle together when they sleep.

The squirrel makes meals out of nuts, insects, lichens, the same as other squirrels, but also can make a diet of lichen an interesting fact is that they can find truffles like pigs. However, unlike pigs, they can use visual clues and remember where truffles were found last, as well as searching for them by smell.

The Virginia Northern flying squirrel is on the brink of extirpation because the industries are cutting down forests, logging, climate, mining, drilling, and road building. These things are destroying the older trees and fallen growth, which sustain the squirrel’s life. Also, when these trees are cut down it opens up the canopies, which expose the squirrel to harsher climates than they are used to, and predators. It also closes off routes, which isolates squirrels from others of their kind. I don’t believe that Global Warming would have any effect on this species, whatsoever.

The way that we can protect the squirrel is obvious; we have to stop destroying their habitat, plain and simple. It’s hard to relocate them to another protected area because they need an older habitat that is densely forested with fallen trees where lichen and fungus are prominent.

References:

Malamuth, E. and M. Mulheisen. 1999. "Glaucomys sabrinus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed July 16, 2008 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Glaucomys_sabrinus.html.

"Northern Flying Squirrel." Wikipedia. 16 July 2008 .

"S.O.S.! Save Our Squirrel!" Center for Biological Diversity. Division of Endangered and Threatened Species. 16 July 2008 .

"Species Information: Virginian Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Sabrinus Fuscus)(Glaucomys Sabrinus Fuscus)." Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. 16 July 2008 .