"symplastless" wrote in
:

Can someone help me ID these Squirrels.
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...ES/flying_squi
rrels.html Are they flying squirrels?

yes.

Specifically which ones?

can't tell from the photos. Northern & Southern Flying
squirrels are very similar in apperance, & in some areas their
ranges overlap.
the Northerns are slightly larger.

Are they threatened and endangered species?

that depends on where you are. in some areas they are
considered threatened or endangered, & in others they are not.
where are you, or rather the squirrels, located?
either way, you may be interested in this: "Flying squirrels
are important to forest regeneration and timber production
because they disperse spores of ectomycorrhizal fungi like
truffles. Truffles are fruiting bodies of a special type of
fungus that matures underground. They are dependent upon
animals to smell them out, dig them up, consume them, and
disperse their spores in fecal material where the animal
travels. The animal serves to inoculate disturbed sites (e.g.,
clearcuts, burned areas) with mycorrhizae that join
symbiotically with plant roots and enhance their ability to
absorb nutrients and maintain health. The flying squirrel's
ecological role in forest ecosystems, therefore, gives it
economic value."

lee they make good pets too, if you get them young