Japanese dwarf flying squirrel in Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, Japan

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel in Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, Japan

All day long, this small squirrel sleeps in the cavity of a conifer tree. But as the sun sets, the nocturnal glider will emerge to begin foraging for fruit and seeds. And, should it need to get from a high branch to a lower spot quickly, it spreads its arms and legs and leaps. A thin membrane of skin stretched between its front and back paws, called the patagium, helps the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel descend in a graceful glide.