How Did Flying Squirrels Get Their Name and How Far Can a Flying Squirrel Fly?

Flying squirrels are a family of 44 species of squirrels that can glide between trees using a parachute-like membrane that stretches from wrist to ankle.

How Did Flying Squirrels Get Their Name

As you may have guessed, they got their name from the way they glide from tree to tree.

The higher they start, the farther flying squirrels can fly before they hit the ground.

The American flying squirrel has logged flights of 150 feet or more.

However, the giant flying squirrel of Asia, measuring four feet instead of the nine to fourteen inches of its American cousin, can glide about ten times farther-1,500 feet, which is more than a quarter of a mile.