Really marsupials

[SquirrelGirl]

Hello again!
I've never met a flying squirrel but they've got a lot of fans. The flying lovers must know these are not really squirrels at all but marsupials, related to the opossum. I wonder how they come to be called squirrels, which wouldn't be caught dead out at night! They don't even like gray days...
squirrelgirl

[Fuzzy]

What's a Marsupial? I've never heard of a marsupial:confused:

[NatureGirl]

Hello again!
I've never met a flying squirrel but they've got a lot of fans. The flying lovers must know these are not really squirrels at all but marsupials, related to the opossum. I wonder how they come to be called squirrels, which wouldn't be caught dead out at night! They don't even like gray days...
squirrelgirl

Flying Squirrels are marsupials? Are you sure you aren't thinking of Sugar Gliders, they're found in Indonesia and are marsupials. They're sort of like flying squirrels, they glide and are nocturnal.

[Skwerlbaitbev]

Flying squirrels (and in this forum's particular case, Glaucomys Volans) are not marsups. The North American flying squirrels are both members of the Sciuridae family, members of the largest and most varied of the mammals, the order Rodentia. Marsupials are mammals, but are not members of the order Rodentia.

While I'm far from an expert, I don't believe sugar gliders are found in Indonesia. However, several species of flying squirrels can be found in Indonesia. Sugar gliders, it's my understanding, are native to Australia; I'm not sure if they're native anywhere else, although it's possible they are now found in New Zealand and Tasmania. Australia, however, is not home to any of the members of the squirrel family (although there are other members of the order Rodentia that are native to Australia. It's actually quite curious that squirrels are not found 'down under' as indigenous residents ...)

[strider72]

sugar gliders are marsups and come from austrailia, southren flyers are almost a totaly diffrent animal. while they may look similar..they are definatly not the same.