How Far Can Flying Squirrels Glide? Up to About 90 Metres

Typical glides are 5 to 25 metres; the record is far longer. How the patagium works, why they steer with the tail, and why it is not flight.

By Zakaria November 2, 2026 2 min read Save to Pinterest

A flying squirrel on a tree trunk at night, loose gliding skin visible along its flank — Photo: Davidvraju, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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A flying squirrel does not fly. It falls forward in a controlled way, trading height for distance, and it is very good at it.

The short answer

Typical glides are 5 to 25 metres between trees, with recorded North American glides reaching around 45 metres routinely and about 90 metres at the extreme; Asian giant flying squirrels manage well over 100 metres from a high launch. This is gliding, not flight — there is no flapping and no way to gain altitude, and the glide ratio is roughly 2 or 3 metres forward per metre of drop. The patagium is a furred skin fold from wrist to ankle, held open at the front by a cartilage rod from the wrist; adjusting its tension allows banking turns of up to about 180 degrees. The flattened tail acts as a rudder, and a sharp pitch-up at the end stalls the animal gently onto the trunk.

5–25 m typical, around 90 m at the extreme
Gliding, not flight — always ends lower
Glide ratio ~2–3:1 forward per metre dropped
Cartilage rod at the wrist holds the membrane open
Tail is rudder and brake; the landing is a stall

Distances

species	typical	recorded far
Southern flying squirrel	5–20 m	~45 m
Northern flying squirrel	10–25 m	~90 m
Siberian flying squirrel	5–20 m	~50 m
Giant flying squirrel (Petaurista)	20–75 m	over 100 m

How the glide is controlled

body part	job
Patagium	the lifting surface
Styliform cartilage (wrist)	holds the leading edge rigid
Limb tension, left vs right	banking and turning
Tail	rudder, then brake
Final pitch-up	stalls the glide onto the trunk

It is a one-way trade

Every glide costs height. A flying squirrel climbing a trunk to launch again is doing the energetic work; the glide itself is nearly free. That is why they launch high and land low on the next trunk, then climb.

Why you never see one

Flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal, and tree squirrels are strictly diurnal. The two share woodland and almost never share a daylight hour. In their range they are often present in gardens with mature trees and are simply never observed — and they take readily to nest boxes, which is the most reliable way to find out whether you have them.

Night scratching overhead is a clue

Grey squirrels are asleep after dark. Repeated night-time movement in a roof space in a wooded neighbourhood, within their range, is more likely to be flying squirrels — and the exclusion gap they need is far smaller, so sealing for greys will not keep them out.

Common questions

How far can a flying squirrel glide?

Most glides are short — commonly 5 to 25 metres between trees. Northern and southern flying squirrels have been recorded at 45 metres and more, and the larger Asian giant flying squirrels at well over 100 metres from a high launch. The record figures quoted for North American species cluster around 90 metres, but a squirrel making that glide is unusual; routine foraging movement is a fraction of it.

Do flying squirrels actually fly?

No. They glide, which means they trade height for distance and always end lower than they started. There is no powered flight — no flapping, no way to gain altitude. Bats are the only mammals that truly fly. A flying squirrel's glide ratio is roughly 2 or 3 to 1, so it travels about two or three metres forward for each metre it drops.

How does the gliding membrane work?

The patagium is a fold of furred skin running from wrist to ankle on each side, held taut at the front by a rod of cartilage extending from the wrist. Spreading the limbs stretches it into an aerofoil. Adjusting the tension on one side or the other lets the animal bank and turn, and it can change direction substantially mid-glide — up to roughly 180 degrees when avoiding an owl.

What is the tail for?

Stabilising and braking. The flattened tail acts as a rudder in flight and, at the end of the glide, the squirrel pitches up sharply and uses tail and membrane together to stall onto the trunk, landing with all four feet. That pitch-up flare is what turns a potentially bone-breaking impact into a soft landing.

Why do they glide instead of climbing down?

Speed and safety. Travelling along the ground exposes a small nocturnal mammal to foxes, cats and owls, and climbing down and up again costs far more energy than a four-second glide. Gliding also lets them cover a feeding territory in canopy where the branches do not connect.

Are flying squirrels common in gardens?

More common than most people realise, and almost never seen, because they are strictly nocturnal while tree squirrels are strictly diurnal. In their range they readily use nest boxes and roof spaces, and unexplained night-time scratching overhead in a wooded neighbourhood is more likely to be them than a grey squirrel, which is asleep.

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A southern flying squirrel on tree bark at night, its large dark eye catching the light

Backyard Animals · Sep 21, 2026

How Far Can Flying Squirrels Glide? Up to About 90 Metres

Distances

How the glide is controlled

Why you never see one