West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel
Large dark eyes, dense brown fur, and a furred membrane between limbs distinguish this uncommon squirrel of cool Appalachian mountaintops.
Artwork inspired by Chuck Ripper
The squirrel does not truly fly. It launches from trees and controls a glide with its patagium and flattened tail, moving between feeding and denning sites while avoiding the forest floor.
Fungi are central to its diet, and spores dispersed in droppings support mycorrhizal relationships with tree roots. Restoring connected red-spruce forest therefore rebuilds both habitat and ecological exchange.
- Movement
- Controlled gliding
- Habitat
- High-elevation red spruce
- Status
- Recovered from federal listing
Quick guide
- Best evidence
- Habitat signs and monitored records, not daytime chasing.
- Ecological role
- Fungal spore dispersal supports highland forest roots.
Recognize it through habitat and behavior
- Look at night carefully
- Direct sightings are rare and should never justify disturbance.
- Identify the forest
- Red spruce, northern hardwoods, cavities, and down wood matter.
- Notice the membrane
- The patagium spans wrist to ankle when extended.
- Value fungi
- Truffles connect squirrel movement to tree nutrition.
Good to know
Do not spotlight nest cavities, bait wildlife, or broadcast precise den locations. Night access and artificial light may be restricted on public lands and disruptive anywhere.