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Today I had the good fortune to audition a woman who owns six Southern flying squirrels, one of which she’s promising to bring back into the office as soon as its schedule allows. Sadly, the show we’re casting isn’t about squirrels, though it should involve a fair amount of squirreling. And even though other details of her life might have been bursting with intrigue, as soon as she dropped the squirrel bit, it was all over: we had to know everything. According to this ingenue, flying squirrels can live in one’s pocket most of the day–especially when babies, but often as adults “if they’ve bonded to you.” Amazing! Here’s how to make sure that happens:
How do these squirrels become bonded to the point that they make such incredible pets? The trick is to obtain them when they are young (preferably less then 10 weeks old) and carry them with you in your shirt pocket several hours a day for three to four weeks. Your heartbeat, body warmth and body odor cause the unique process to take place.
Please tell me someone out there owns one. If not & you live in LA, let me know–I have a hook-up; a fabulous, recently born Glaucomys volans will only set you back $200. I nominate the Southern flying squirrel as the new celebrity accessory. I wonder which headliners will now attend their appointments at the Chateau Marmont with flying squirrels guarding their hearts…
Comments (7)
Comment
Not sure if sugar gliders and flying squirrels are the same thing, but I had friends that once had sugar gliders. They didn’t make them proper pets though, and apparently when they got out of the cage, they where hard to find and catch.
They eventually gave the creatures away and the gliders had a baby, but apparently killed the baby after human touch.
posted by AimeeD on 8-2-2007 at 4:09 am
Sugar gliders aren’t the same — they’re tropical animals with very exacting diets.
On the other hand, I had southern flying squirrels once — involuntarily. They had moved into my house in upstate New York (yes, they WERE the Southern, not the Northern) and were living above the ceiling tile. There were at least five; I had to live trap them and carry them back to a local park.
They used to have soccer games in my ceiling. No kidding — I’d hear the rattle of a small object, then the pitter-patter of MANY little feet.
They also used to break into my pantry. This is how I discovered them — one day, I went into the pantry and found a little fluffy tail sticking out of the box of prunes (which had been closed, but these guys have teeth that will gnaw through anything short of steel). The tail disappeared and a little head popped out as if to say, “What are you doing in MY pantry?”
posted by lleachie on 8-2-2007 at 6:37 am
Re: Sugar gliders–please, please, don’t buy these trendy critters if you aren’t ready to make a 12-year (approx) investment.
When people get bored with sugar gliders and pawn them off on rescuers like me, the gliders, in spite of all I can do for them, often become depressed, sitting on the bottom of the cage and refusing all food and human contact. How are they to understand they are no longer This Year’s Cutest Trend, and that their substitute mothers, with whom they have bonded, don’t care about them anymore?
I have no personal experience with Southern flying squirrels in captivity, but I’m pretty sure that they, like most “exotic pets,” are happier in the wild with their own kind.
posted by Laurel on 8-2-2007 at 9:18 am
Maybe it’s just me but I would swear that picture is a sugar glider?
posted by John on 8-2-2007 at 9:49 am
Maybe it’s just me but I would swear that is a picture of a sugar glider?
posted by John on 8-2-2007 at 9:54 am
I live in SC and have had experience with flying squirrels as pets. I found them to be difficult to raise because they were just “too wild” and did not “domesticate” easily. However, the gray squirrel was a different story. When I was about 12 or 13 (I am now 51) my friend and I would ‘raid’ squirrel nests and take the babies, usually about 2 or 3, and keep them as pets. They were the greatest pets you could have. Once the bonded with you they were your best buddies. When they reached adulthood we would turn them loose. They would hang around the yard and visit for about a month or two before they stopped visiting. Sometimes we would hang their cage outside our window and they would come back at night and sleep in their cage. Once they got used to being free they would stop returning. It was alot of fun and I will always treasure the ‘good times’.
PS: I only had about 3 squirrels as pets and they always survived their release.
posted by David on 8-2-2007 at 1:45 pm
I realise that the difference between sugar gliders and flying squirrels has been established, but I do need to echo what Lauren said. I didn’t realist when I received mine how long they would stick around for, but it was rewarding. Still, the little bugger was somewhat of a Houdini, escaping quite regularily. Also very finicky about their food.
posted by tinfoil on 8-2-2007 at 2:34 pm