Northern Flying Squirrel in Idaho

Glaucomys sabrinus

Native to Idaho S4 Apparently Secure in Idaho

Not listed as nonindigenous in Idaho by USGS NAS; native to its Idaho range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: Henrique Pacheco · CC BY 4.0Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)Photo: PJTurgeon · CC BY-SA 3.0Northern Flying SquirrelPhoto: Thompson Hyggen · CC0Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)Photo: Master Larry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domainVirginia northern flying squirrel on a tree glaucomys sabrinus fuscus

Northern Flying Squirrel in Idaho, by the numbers

Occasional in Idaho 67th most recorded of 123 mammals logged in Idaho

25 occurrence records

21 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

25 total records count every Idaho occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 22; the monthly chart covers the 22 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Northern Flying Squirrel in Idaho

Most sightings fall in May to September.

22 Idaho occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Idaho records (table)

Month	Records
January	2
February	2
March	1
April	1
May	3
June	3
July	3
August	3
September	2
October	0
November	0
December	2

Monthly northern flying squirrel occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Idaho, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Idaho, with recorded sightings peaking in May–September, with a smaller rise in December–February.

Occurrence map

Where Northern Flying Squirrel has been recorded in Idaho

22 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

22 Idaho records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Boise National Forest	3

Protected places with the most northern flying squirrel sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Idaho

County	Records
Custer County	4
Latah County	3
Kootenai County	3
Idaho County	2
Valley County	2
Shoshone County	1
Blaine County	1
Power County	1
Bannock County	1
Boundary County	1
Ada County	1
Fremont County	1
Bonner County	1
Other localities	3

The complete county distribution, spread across 13 Idaho counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Northern flying squirrel has just 25 records in Idaho since 2000, spread thinly across 13 counties from Boundary in the north to Bannock in the southeast, with Custer County’s 4 the most of any and 3 from Boise National Forest. As a strictly nocturnal glider, the species is almost never seen in daylight, yet 21 of the 25 records are iNaturalist observations rather than survey captures.

No month holds more than 3 records, so there’s no real seasonal pattern to read, though a few winter records fit a squirrel that stays active all year rather than hibernating. NatureServe ranks the species S4, Apparently Secure, in Idaho.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus Size 25–37 cm9.8–14.6 in Weight 148 g5.2 oz Lifespan Up to 14.2 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Idaho in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"