

For example, the southern flying squirrel will eat pecans in the southern part of its range, but not in the northern part of its range, as the pecan tree does not grow naturally in northern climes. Food types vary according to geographic location. The southern flying squirrel has a diet very similar to that of the northern flying squirrel, however, there are differences - mainly due to food type availability.In fact, this instinctual behavior is so well-ingrained, you can watch wild flyers perform this manoeuver as a precaution, even when no owls are in the vicinity Through a combination of running, jumping and gliding, the squirrel will attempt to get to a refugee before being attacked.When a flying squirrel is being watched or followed by an owl while gliding, it will instinctively run to the other side of it's landing spot in order to avoid being taken. This is a time when all a flying squirrels arboreal abilities come into play. If a predator is not fooled by a flying squirrel remaining perfectly still, it will attack. So you can see, life is a precious commodity for many prey animals. Because it has eyes on the sides of its head, it cannot judge with impunity how far away a predator may be until it is too late. We see high mortality rates in juvenile flying squirrels, far higher than that found any other age group.A flying squirrels' visual acuity is likely limited to seeing only blurred movement at at great distances. Inexperience in dealing with predators of various species, combined with an un-honed locomotion skill-set, minimal knowledge of its environs, and a propensity for risk-taking make young flyers an easy target. The most dangerous period in a flying squirrel's life is when it is a juvenile, or a "teenager". Flying squirrels, with the exception of juveniles, know their home range like the back of their paws! Every single refuge is known to them, and all the best routes to get to each refuge as well.

This period of immobility also serves to allow the flying squirrel some time to decide upon its method and/or route of escape, should the predator attack.

This behavior will prevent a predator, hopefully, from "zeroing-in" on the location of the flyer in question, lose interest, and leave the area for "greener pastures".
