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A northern flying squirrel is a wild animal, not a domesticated pet. If you have found one, the safest care is to keep people and pets away, avoid feeding or transporting it unless instructed, and contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator or your local wildlife authority. Whether possession is legal depends on your jurisdiction; professional rehabilitation is not the same as keeping a squirrel at home.
The guidance below explains what to do for an injured or orphaned squirrel, why ordinary pet-care advice is unsafe, and what the species needs in the wild. It does not provide a captive diet or cage plan because the cited wildlife sources do not establish a validated household-husbandry protocol.
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Can you keep a northern flying squirrel as a pet?
In practice, you should not keep a wild northern flying squirrel as a household pet. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources states that “Wild animals do not want to be in captivity” and that “A wild animal being rehabilitated is not a pet.” Those statements address rehabilitation welfare, but the same principle applies to a squirrel taken from the wild for companionship: captivity, handling and habituation can prevent the animal from retaining the behaviors it needs for release.
Legality is location-specific. For example, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says nearly all wild animals are protected by state law, requires a permit for rehabilitation, and says wildlife may not be possessed or transported for more than 24 hours without a permit. Minnesota also says it does not issue rehabilitation permits for pet possession. Those are Minnesota rules, not a universal law; check your own state, province or country before handling or moving any wild animal.
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A permit to rehabilitate wildlife is an authorization to provide regulated care with the goal of release, not a route to permanent ownership. A person without the required permit can create legal and welfare problems even when the intention is to help.
What should you do if you find a northern flying squirrel?
Contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator or the relevant wildlife agency before attempting to handle or move the squirrel. Minnesota DNR specifically recommends getting professional direction first because wildlife can bite or scratch, may expose people or pets to disease, and can be harmed by incorrect feeding or unnecessary handling.
- Keep your distance. Bring children, dogs and cats indoors or away from the area. Do not chase the squirrel, try to make it glide, or attempt to pick it up for a photograph.
- Observe without intervening. Note the location, time, whether it is on the ground or in a tree, and any obvious bleeding, entanglement, collision or inability to move. Do not assume that a small squirrel is orphaned simply because it is alone.
- Call for instructions. Use your local wildlife agency, a permitted wildlife rehabilitator or, where the agency directs it, a licensed veterinarian. Give the exact location and describe what you observed rather than deciding on a treatment yourself.
- Follow the professional’s transport instructions exactly. A rehabilitator may tell you whether the animal should be left in place, contained, or taken to a facility. Do not transport it on your own if local rules require a permit or if the professional has not advised you how to do so.
- Do not feed it while waiting unless a qualified professional specifically directs you. The species’ natural diet is specialized and seasonal. Minnesota DNR warns that improper feeding can cause digestive or skeletal problems, and the cited wildlife sources do not provide a safe emergency recipe for the public.
If the squirrel is in immediate danger from traffic, domestic animals or a building hazard, tell the rehabilitator or agency exactly what is happening and ask how to reduce that danger. Moving an animal without guidance can worsen injuries, separate a dependent young animal from its mother, or violate local possession rules.
How can you tell whether it actually needs rescue?
Only a qualified wildlife professional can make a reliable distress assessment from the circumstances and the animal’s condition. A squirrel on the ground, alone, or visible during daylight is not by itself proof that it is orphaned or injured. Record what you see and let the rehabilitator decide whether intervention is warranted.
Situations that deserve an urgent call include visible bleeding, a limb that is unusable, entanglement, repeated inability to climb or glide, exposure to a cat or dog, or a squirrel that is unresponsive or being struck by traffic. Describe these signs rather than attempting to splint, bathe, medicate or feed the animal.
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Young wildlife can be harmed by well-intentioned “rescue.” Human habituation may reduce an animal’s ability to survive independently or be released, according to Minnesota DNR. The safest default is therefore professional assessment before capture.
Why is ordinary squirrel care unsuitable for this species?
Northern flying squirrels are adapted to a forest, not a living room. The British Columbia species account identifies the scientific name Glaucomys sabrinus, describes the animal as fundamentally arboreal, and explains that it glides between trees. A home environment cannot reproduce the animal’s three-dimensional movement, escape choices, night activity or release training simply by adding a wheel or a small cage.
The animal is nocturnal. Activity is concentrated at night, especially in trees, although it also forages on the forest floor after dark. A person who expects a daytime-active, handleable companion would be working against its normal behavior and sleep cycle.
Its food is also unlike a generic “squirrel mix.” The British Columbia account lists buds, fruits, seeds, shrubs, mosses, forbs, insects, nestling birds, eggs and carrion. It identifies lichens as important in winter and early spring and underground fungi as important in summer and fall. The Nevada Department of Wildlife independently emphasizes that fungi and lichens make up a large part of the diet, rather than being optional supplements.
Those observations describe foods eaten in the wild; they are not a formulated captive ration. A diet assembled from internet suggestions, pet-store nuts or produce could omit essential nutrients or introduce harmful foods. Minnesota DNR’s warning about digestive and skeletal problems is especially important for inexperienced carers.
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What does professional wildlife rehabilitation involve?
Permitted rehabilitation is a regulated process aimed at returning a healthy animal to suitable habitat. The rehabilitator must decide whether the squirrel is injured, orphaned, or simply encountered in an unusual place; provide species-appropriate medical and nutritional care; minimize human imprinting; and determine whether release is possible.
Michigan DNR directs rehabilitators to a specialist publication, Foundations of Wildlife Rehabilitation, for facility requirements such as cage dimensions and sanitary requirements. That reference is for people pursuing permitted rehabilitation. It is not a pet-care guide, does not authorize possession, and does not turn a household enclosure into an approved facility.
Professional care also includes decisions a private owner cannot safely make from a web page: whether a wound needs veterinary treatment, whether a young squirrel should be reunited with its mother, whether a diet is appropriate at a particular developmental stage, and whether the animal retains the flight, climbing, foraging and avoidance behaviors needed for release.
What are the legal differences between wildlife rescue and pet ownership?
Rules differ by jurisdiction, species classification and the purpose of possession. Always identify the authority that governs your location and ask about both possession and transport.
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- Michigan: Michigan DNR’s rehabilitation FAQ explains that a rehabilitated wild animal is not a pet and that wild animals do not want to be in captivity. Its requirements and procedures apply to Michigan; they should not be presented as the law elsewhere. Read the Michigan wildlife rehabilitation FAQ.
- British Columbia: A British Columbia species account dated December 1, 1998 describes the northern flying squirrel as protected as a furbearer under that province’s Wildlife Act. Because the account is old and legally specific, use it as historical and local context, not as current legal advice. Confirm present requirements with the appropriate British Columbia authority.
Even where a jurisdiction allows some form of wildlife possession, that does not establish that a northern flying squirrel can be kept as a companion animal or that a private enclosure meets rehabilitation standards. Ask the agency about permits, time limits, transport, veterinary involvement and release obligations before taking action.
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What should you never do at home?
- Do not treat it like a domesticated squirrel. Taming, hand-feeding and routine handling can produce habituation and make release less likely.
- Do not improvise a diet. Lichens and fungi are significant wild foods, and the cited wildlife sources do not validate a household substitute. Incorrect feeding can cause digestive or skeletal injury.
- Do not infer cage requirements from a pet-store product. No current cited wildlife source supplies home enclosure dimensions. Professional facility requirements are addressed in rehabilitation references for permitted carers.
- Do not administer medication or home remedies. A bite, wound, dehydration or fracture requires professional assessment; an unsuitable treatment can delay effective care.
- Do not keep the squirrel “temporarily” without checking the time limit. In Minnesota, for example, the DNR states that wildlife may not be possessed or transported for more than 24 hours without a permit. Other jurisdictions may use different limits or exemptions.
- Do not release an animal in an unfamiliar place. A squirrel that has been handled, injured or raised by people may need a professional release assessment and a suitable habitat decision.
How do natural habitat and behavior affect welfare?
The northern flying squirrel’s anatomy and behavior make habitat quality central to welfare. The British Columbia account describes a forest-dependent, tree-dwelling animal that glides between trees and also forages on the ground at night. Its needs therefore include vertical routes, concealment, appropriate night conditions and the ability to make species-typical choices—not simply food, water and a nest box.
No source in the available data supplies a validated pet enclosure size, lighting schedule, temperature range or captive enrichment plan. Supplying invented numbers would give false confidence. A rehabilitator selects facilities and handling procedures according to the animal’s age, injuries, behavior and release goal, often with veterinary oversight.
The same caution applies to seasonality. Lichens are highlighted for winter and early spring, while underground fungi are highlighted for summer and fall. A list of wild foods cannot be converted safely into a year-round ration without professional formulation and monitoring.
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What if you want to work with flying squirrels legally?
If your goal is to help wildlife rather than own a pet, start with your wildlife agency. Ask what qualifications, permits, facility inspections, veterinary arrangements and reporting requirements apply where you live. Many people can contribute by transporting an animal at an agency’s direction, supporting a licensed center, or making habitat safer without possessing the squirrel.
For readers who are pursuing formal rehabilitation, Michigan DNR identifies Foundations of Wildlife Rehabilitation from the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association as a source for facility requirements, including cage dimensions and sanitation. Use it as professional training material, not as permission to keep a squirrel or as a substitute for local authorization.
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How should you choose between leaving the animal alone and seeking help?
| Situation | Best next action | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Squirrel appears healthy and is moving normally in a tree or forested area | Observe from a distance and contact an authority if you are unsure | Chasing, feeding or capturing it for a closer look |
| Visible injury, entanglement, collision or attack by a pet | Call a permitted rehabilitator or wildlife agency promptly and describe the hazard | Home treatment, medication or unrequested transport |
| Small squirrel found alone or on the ground | Ask a rehabilitator to assess whether it is orphaned and what to do | Assuming abandonment and raising it yourself |
| You want a permanent companion animal | Choose a legally available domesticated species instead of taking wildlife | Applying for rehabilitation solely to obtain a pet |
What is the bottom line for a “pet” northern flying squirrel?
Do not acquire a northern flying squirrel as a pet. Its wild behavior, specialized and seasonal diet, need for forest habitat, and susceptibility to habituation make improvised home care unsafe. If one may be injured or orphaned, contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator or the responsible wildlife authority before handling, feeding or moving it, and follow the law where you live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I raise a baby northern flying squirrel until it is old enough to release?
Do not raise it yourself. A rehabilitator must determine whether the youngster is truly orphaned, provide age-appropriate care and limit human contact so it can develop release-relevant behavior; contact the wildlife authority before touching or feeding it.
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Is a northern flying squirrel being out during the day automatically an emergency?
No single observation proves injury or abandonment. Because the species is mainly nocturnal, note the time, location and behavior from a distance and ask a rehabilitator whether intervention is warranted rather than capturing it automatically.
Can a regular veterinarian treat a wild northern flying squirrel?
A wildlife agency may direct you to a licensed veterinarian, but call the agency or a permitted rehabilitator first. They can coordinate legal transport and identify a veterinarian prepared to handle wildlife.
What should I do if my dog or cat caught one?
Separate the domestic animal and contact a wildlife rehabilitator or agency immediately, even if the squirrel looks uninjured. Bite wounds and shock may not be obvious, and home cleaning or feeding can delay appropriate treatment.
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