Flying Squirrel — care sheet

Advanced. A tiny, strictly nocturnal gliding rodent that bonds intensely and is illegal or permit-only in much of the US — check the law first. It needs a companion and a tall gliding cage, is highly prone to metabolic bone disease without careful calcium and vitamin-D3 balance, chews constantly, and can bite. Long-lived (often a decade), so a real commitment.

A true omnivore — among the most carnivorous of squirrels. The diet should include protein (insects such as mealworms and crickets), plus nuts, fruit and vegetables. The critical risk is calcium balance: a nut/seed/corn-heavy diet is high in phosphorus and low in calcium, which drives metabolic bone disease. A calcium-adequate, balanced diet (correct calcium-to-phosphorus ratio) is essential. Fresh water always available.

A tall, escape-proof cage with branches to climb and glide, and a nest box placed high — they’re arboreal and glide, so vertical space matters far more than floor area. (Authorities don’t publish exact dimensions or safe bar-spacing for pet flying squirrels, so aim for as tall and secure as possible rather than a fixed number, and confirm a safe wheel/setup with an exotic vet.) Keep bedding clean and dry.

Social animals that do best with a companion, and they bond strongly to their keeper — a lone, ignored flying squirrel does poorly, and daily interaction (hand-feeding in the early weeks) builds the bond. Rehoming is hard on them once bonded.

Keep them warm and stable indoors. In severe cold they enter torpor and stay nested for days, which can be mistaken for illness — so avoid letting them get cold. (Exact numeric temperature ranges aren’t well documented by authorities, so keep them comfortably warm rather than to a fixed figure.)

A high nest box and clean, dry bedding/nesting material. Natural nests are in tree cavities, so provide an enclosed, elevated nest.

Branches to climb and glide between, safe toys, foraging, and out-of-cage exercise time in a safe space to prevent obesity — they’re highly active at night. (Wire wheels can be unsafe for a gliding-membrane animal — confirm any wheel with an exotic vet.)

They’re rodents that chew constantly (incisors grow for life) and can give a sharp bite, so provide safe chew material. Otherwise their grooming needs are low.

They’re prone to calcium deficiency and typically need a calcium supplement, with vitamin D3 (via diet or appropriate light) to use it — but D3 dosing must be vet-supervised, since over-supplementation is harmful. Have an exotic vet set the calcium/D3 plan.

Total length about 200–285 mm (roughly 8–11 in), weighing about 38–90 g.

Wild animals average 3–5 years, but in captivity they’re long-lived — around 10 years on average, with a maximum near 19 years.

See a small-animal or exotics vet if you notice: Weakness, bendy limbs or fractures, tremors or seizures — metabolic bone disease is an emergency; see an exotic vet; Not eating, weight loss or lethargy; A cold, torpid animal when it shouldn’t be — warm gently and seek advice; Signs of parasites (lice/fleas), or any wound.