Growth and Development of the Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans volans)

Linzey, Donald W.; Linzey, Alicia V.

doi:10.2307/1380104

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Southern flying squirrels have two distinct breeding periods, typically peaking in March and July (Hibbard 1935, Linzey and Linzey 1979, Muul 1969b, Sollberger 1943, Stapp and Mautz 1984. Testes of males begin to descend in January and may regress in late summer or early fall (Muul 1969b, Sollberger 1943, Wells-Gosling 1985.…”

Section: Recommendations For Assessing Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Maturation and reproduction of northern flying squirrels in Pacific Northwest forests.

Villa¹,

Carey²,

Wilson³

et al. 1999

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Northern flying squirrels are the primary prey of northern spotted owls and are important dispersers of fungal spores in Pacific Northwest forests. Despite the importance of these squirrels in forest ecosystems, information is lacking on life history and methods for determining age and reproductive condition. In the laboratory, we measured epiphyseal notch, femur length, rostrum length, least interorbital breadth, rump pelage length and color, and tail width of dead squirrels. We analyzed weight, pelage color, and reproduction for field-collected data from live squirrels. We also described age-class differences in facial features and tail size and shape in the Puget Trough. A birth-year-based age-class system had several advantages over the traditional juvenile-subadult-adult class system. Three age classes can be distinguished in the field, each with varying degrees of accuracy. Reproduction of northern flying squirrels can be reliably determined in live-trapping studies. Enlargement, turgidity, and redness of genitalia are detectable signs of reproductive activity, whereas reduction, flaccidity, and paleness signal inactivity for both males and females. Nipple length is the best indicator for distinguishing sexual maturity of inactive females. The most effective way to avoid mistakes and ambiguity about age and reproductive status in the field is to take descriptive notes. Maturation and reproductive patterns were similar among the Puget Trough, Olympic Peninsula, and northern Cascade studies in Washington. Squirrels in the Coast Range of Oregon, however, displayed different patterns. Regional populations differed in proportion of females reproductively active, the reproductive maturity of yearling females, and survivorship across age classes. Regional variations suggest accurate assessment of age and reproduction is a prerequisite for understanding flying squirrel ecology.Keywords: Northern flying squirrel, maturation, reproductive biology, Oregon, Washington, live-trapping, necropsy. AbstractThere has been substantial research on old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) forests and wildlife that depend on them (Ruggiero and others 1991). Northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus [Shaw 1801]) have been of particular interest because they seem to be keystone species in late-seral forests-a main prey of strigids and mustelids on one trophic level, and a consumer and disseminator of fungal spores on another. Through its mission to develop forest management practices that steward biodiversity, the Ecological Foundations of Biodiversity Research Team has focused research on the relation between northern flying squirrels and forest health.Despite the importance of northern flying squirrels in Pacific Northwest forest ecosystems, information is lacking on life history and methods for determining age and reproductive condition. We began studying flying squirrel populations in 1985 in Douglas-fir forests of the Coast Ranges physiographic province in southwestern Oregon (Franklin and Dyrness 19...

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Section: Recommendations For Assessing Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additional litters can be produced in fall (Muul 1969b, Uhlig 1956, Wells-Gosling 1985. Average litter size is three young (range 1-6), and fall litters are commonly larger than spring litters (Hibbard 1935, Linzey and Linzey 1979, Stapp and Mautz 1984, WellsGosling 1985.…”

Section: Recommendations For Assessing Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maturation and reproduction of northern flying squirrels in Pacific Northwest forests.

Villa¹,

Carey²,

Wilson³

et al. 1999

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Three age classes were recognized on the basis of weight: nestlings (<25.0 g), subadults (25.1-50.0 g), and adults (>50.0 g). Based on Linzey & Linzey's (1979) growth data from Alabama and weights at known ages of two young from the locality of this study given by Rand & Host (1942), these categories correspond roughly to age ranges <4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, and >8 weeks, with the upper limits of the nestling and subadult age classes approximating the weights at weaning and sexual maturity, respectively. Parturition dates were calculated by back-dating from estimated ages of litters obtained by comparing the mean weight of young in the litter with the growth curve of body weight given by Linzey & Linzey (1979) and supplemented by the data from Rand & Host (1942).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Based on Linzey & Linzey's (1979) growth data from Alabama and weights at known ages of two young from the locality of this study given by Rand & Host (1942), these categories correspond roughly to age ranges <4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, and >8 weeks, with the upper limits of the nestling and subadult age classes approximating the weights at weaning and sexual maturity, respectively. Parturition dates were calculated by back-dating from estimated ages of litters obtained by comparing the mean weight of young in the litter with the growth curve of body weight given by Linzey & Linzey (1979) and supplemented by the data from Rand & Host (1942). Because of the potential errors in this procedure, including the fact that the growth data were for laboratory-raised young mainly from a different geographic region plus the usual variability in growth rates of young, particularly at older ages, parturition dates were estimated only to the nearest week.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Moore, 1942Moore, , 1947Sollberger, 1943;Muul, 1969Muul, , 1970Muul, , 1974Goertz et al, 1975;Heidt, 1977;DeCoursey, 1978;! Linzey & Linzey, 1979;Sonenshine et al, 1979;Sawyer & Rose, 1985) have suggested the existence of latitudinal trends in certain aspects of reproduction in this species. The two major hypotheses that have been presented are: (1) the breeding season shifts from spring to late summer in the north to late summer through late winter in the .south (DeCoursey, 1978) and (2) litter size decreases with decreasing latitude (Goertz et al, 1975;Sawyer & Rose, 1985).…”

Section: [505]mentioning

confidence: 95%

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Aspects of reproduction in the southern flying squirrel in Florida

Raymond¹,

Layne²

1988

Acta Theriol.

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Behaviors associated with vocal communication of squirrels

Diggins

2021

Ecosphere

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Vocal communication is an important method squirrels (Sciuridae) use to transfer information from one individual to others. While behaviors associated with vocal communication have been explored in individual species or single call-types in specific groups of squirrels, no comprehensive review of these behaviors exists for Sciuridae. Herein, I review the current literature to describe behaviors associated with vocal communication in three groups of squirrels: ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. I discuss the behavioral functions of squirrel vocalizations. A wide variety of behaviors are associated with particular call-types produced by squirrels, including alarm, agonistic, discomfort, affiliative, mating, and neonatal calls. There are large knowledge gaps in cataloging the vocal repertoires and associated behaviors of many species of squirrels, including commonly studied species such as marmots and ground squirrels, as alarm calls are typically focused on and other call-types are understudied or ignored. Since vocal communication is important to the development, reproduction, and survival of squirrels, further understanding the biological and ecological drivers behind vocal repertoires is critical to evaluating the ethology of this family as a whole.

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Growth and Development of the Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans volans)

Cited by 20 publications

References 17 publications

Maturation and reproduction of northern flying squirrels in Pacific Northwest forests.

Maturation and reproduction of northern flying squirrels in Pacific Northwest forests.

Aspects of reproduction in the southern flying squirrel in Florida

Behaviors associated with vocal communication of squirrels

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