Northern Flying Squirrels in Appalachia
Distribution
Northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) are a nocturnal gliding mammal that were discovered in the central Appalachians in 1930s (Miller 1936) and the southern Appalachians in 1950s (Handley 1956), extending the known range of this species in the eastern North America by approximately 700 miles south along the Appalachian Mountain chain. The Virginia northern flying squirrel (G. s. fuscus) occurs in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia and northwestern Virginia in high-elevation conifer and northern hardwood forests, typically above 3,000 feet in elevation . The Carolina northern flying squirrel (G. s. coloratus) occurs in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia, western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee, typically above 4,500 feet in elevation. |
Habitat Associations
Both subspecies of Appalachian northern flying squirrels are associated with high-elevation red spruce (Picea rubens) forests and adjacent northern hardwood forests. The Virginia northern flying squirrel is also associated with eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), balsam fir (Abies balsamea) forests, along with plantations of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and red pine (Pinus resinosa). The Carolina northern flying squirrel is also associated with eastern hemlock and the endemic Fraser fir (Abies fraseri).
Both subspecies of Appalachian northern flying squirrels are associated with high-elevation red spruce (Picea rubens) forests and adjacent northern hardwood forests. The Virginia northern flying squirrel is also associated with eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), balsam fir (Abies balsamea) forests, along with plantations of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and red pine (Pinus resinosa). The Carolina northern flying squirrel is also associated with eastern hemlock and the endemic Fraser fir (Abies fraseri).