flying squirrel

/flying squirrel/

Friendly

Word: Flying Squirrel

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A flying squirrel is a type of small, nocturnal (active at night) animal that is known for its ability to glide through the air. They have special skin flaps, called "patagia," that stretch from their wrists to their ankles. When they jump from a height, they spread out these flaps, allowing them to glide gracefully from tree to tree.

Usage Instructions:

• When you talk about flying squirrels, you can use the term to describe these unique animals, especially when discussing their habitat, behavior, or features.
• Example sentence: "I saw a flying squirrel gliding from one tree to another in the park last night."

Example:

• "The flying squirrel is not really flying like a bird; instead, it glides through the air using its skin flaps."

Advanced Usage:

• In scientific discussions, you might encounter the term "Petaurista" or "Glaucomys," which are the genus names for some species of flying squirrels.
• Example sentence: "Research on the Glaucomys volans has revealed interesting behaviors related to their gliding techniques."

Word Variants:

• There are different species of flying squirrels, such as the Southern flying squirrel and the Northern flying squirrel.
• "Flying" can also be used as an adjective in other contexts, like "flying insects."

Different Meanings:

• The term "flying" can refer to anything that moves through the air, not just animals. For example, "a flying airplane" or "flying birds."
• "Squirrel" alone refers to the small, bushy-tailed rodent that typically lives in trees and gathers nuts.

Synonyms:

• Gliding squirrel (a less common term)
• In some contexts, you might refer to them simply as "squirrels" when it is clear you are talking about the flying variety.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "flying squirrel," but you might use phrases like "take flight" to describe something that is moving quickly or escaping, which can metaphorically relate to how flying squirrels glide.

Academic

Noun

1. nocturnal phalangers that move with gliding leaps using parachute-like folds of skin along the sides of the body

Synonyms

• flying phalanger
• flying opossum