Where the Bluebird Sings

A Wildlife Journal for North Carolina

Sunday, March 16, 2008

A pinkie? Not anymore
The gray squirrel I took to the rehab center back in February is no longer a "pinkie." He's covered in fur, and his eyes are open. The white spot on his forehead is the marking we use to identify baby mammals.

Not ready for flight

This flying squirrel was brought into the rehab center last week after its nest was destroyed. It's about 48 hours old, not much bigger than a penny, but you can see the extra fold of skin between the front leg and back leg that will give him the ability to "fly." Flying squirrels don't so much fly as they do glide from tree top to tree top.
Adults weigh only about a pound, much smaller than gray squirrels, and their eyes are rounder, giving them a sweeter, almost cartoonish appearance.
For the next few weeks, this guy will be kept in an incubator. When something this small survives away from its natural habitat, it's something of a miracle.