Rodent Spotlight: Flying Squirrel

Now, here is something special for you! What is cooler than a rodent that can fly?! Nothing! Flying Squirrels are one of natures marvels, and if you don't agree with that, you are likely a very boring person. If you DO think flying squirrels are the best thing since acorns, then this blog will certainly keep you excited!

I was surprised to find out that a lot of people think bats are flying rodents, but they actually aren't. The flying squirrel holds this particular trophy. Unlike bats, however, they are not capable of "powered flight." That is to say that they are only capable of gliding by way of their skin flaps--known as a patagium. So... that isn't so bad, right? All they have to do is crawl up to a high place--such as a rock or tree--and leap into the air! Sounds fun to me!

In popular fiction, only two examples came to mind. The most obvious would have to be Rocky the Flying Squirrel from the TV program "Rocky and Bullwinkle." Rocky is your common daring hero who is clever and capable. Unlike real flying squirrels, he could fly around like a rocket and even had his own "whooshing" sound effects as he did so. Also, he came with his own pair of goggles which made him look like a pilot. Talk about fun!

Perhaps not as well known in America, I am reminded of Hickory the flying squirrel from the Japanese manga series called "Happy Happy Clover." Having read every one of those books, I absolutely loved this character. He was always very busy trying to help every one of his friends. Although this was a very stressful job, he never really showed it. He was always calm, cool, and collected throughout his adventures, and this personality oddity did not go unnoticed by his peers. Hickory was adorable, and I thought it was funny how he would have sneezing fits around a certain type of fungus called "Yum Yum Mushrooms." In contrast to Rocky, Hickory was far more similar to real flying squirrels and could only glide from high places. This would become a big issue when he would accidentally land in a wide open field and be forced to walk at a much slower pace.

In my own fiction, I once wrote a very silly story called "Mouse Parade 2: Suburban Panic" where I had a troop of flying squirrels who would swoop down on the tops of buildings and fire rocket launchers from the new strategic position. While this story was not to be taken seriously, the concept of an army of flying squirrels is still a fun thought! How awesome would it be to see these cute rodents flying in formation into a war zone? I'll tell you: a whole, freaking lot!

The flying squirrel is a great example of how nature can sometimes pull some really neat things out of its magic bag of ideas. The common rodent is pretty much forced to enjoy life stuck to the earth in some manner, but this little guy has a glimpse of what it is to be a bird. They may not be able to glide for very long, but our imaginations can easily improve on that issue. We only need to see the real creature in action to be inspired.

Thank you for reading this blog. If you enjoyed it, you can leave a comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Whooooosh!