Cultural Snapshots

Musasabi: Japanese Giant Flying Squirrels

Environment

Giant flying squirrels called musasabi glide from tree to tree in their Japanese forest homes.
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Night Creatures

Musasabi or Japanese giant flying squirrels are nocturnal mammals that live in forests in Japan’s main islands of Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku. They glide from tree to tree using special membranes that stretch between their front and rear limbs. Musasabi can grow to be around 80 centimeters long, including the tail, and weigh more than 1 kilogram. They typically glide for around 20 to 30 meters, but distances of over 100 meters have been recorded.

Flying squirrels glide on a membrane of skin. (© Pixta)
Flying squirrels glide on a membrane of skin. (© Pixta)

A similar, smaller animal is the momonga or Japanese dwarf flying squirrel, which grows to around 30 centimeters in length, including the tail, and weighs around 150 grams.

(Originally written in English. Banner photo © Pixta.)

animal