Glaucomys sabrinus
Silhouette: Chloé Schmidt · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) is one of three species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America. They are found in coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across much of Canada, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, and south to the mountains of North Carolina and west to Utah in the United States. They are light brown with pale underparts and grow to a length of 25 to 37 cm (10 to 15 in). They are proficient gliders but uncoordinated walkers on the ground. They feed on a variety of plant material as well as tree sap, fungi, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings. They mostly breed once a year in a cavity lined with lichen or other soft material. Except when they have young, they change nests frequently, and in winter a number of individuals may huddle together in a shared nest. Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal.
Currently, 25 subspecies are recognized: The northern flying squirrel is found in coniferous and mixed coniferous forests across the top of North America, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and west... Wikipedia →
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Canada · 2022
© bridgetmacg · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Canada · 2020
© Toby Spribille · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Canada · 2025
© Adam Holder · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Flying Squirrel sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 17th most-seen of the 20 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July, October and December–March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Flying Squirrel in Edmonton on a given day, against under 5% in April–June, August–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Flying Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Edmonton, in our data
Edmonton is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Northern Flying Squirrel sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Northern Flying Squirrel that you can see in Edmonton (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are American Red Squirrel (about 50%), Least Chipmunk (about 30%) and Richardson's Ground Squirrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Flying Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Edmonton (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
