Northern Flying Squirrel in Montana

Glaucomys sabrinus

Native to Montana S5 Secure in Montana

Not listed as nonindigenous in Montana by USGS NAS; native to its Montana 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 Montana, by the numbers

Occasional in Montana 65th most recorded of 122 mammals logged in Montana

32 occurrence records

31 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

32 total records count every Montana occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 31; the monthly chart covers the 31 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Northern Flying Squirrel in Montana

Most sightings fall in September.

31 Montana occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Montana records (table)

Month	Records
January	1
February	5
March	2
April	2
May	1
June	3
July	5
August	2
September	6
October	2
November	1
December	1

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Montana, with recorded sightings peaking in September, with a smaller rise in February and July.

Occurrence map

Where Northern Flying Squirrel has been recorded in Montana

31 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

31 Montana records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Gallatin National Forest	3
Bob Marshall Wilderness	2
Flathead Lake Biological Station	1
Glacier National Park	1
Lolo National Forest	1

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 Montana

County	Records
Sanders County	6
Missoula County	5
Powell County	3
Park County	3
Lake County	3
Flathead County	3
Ravalli County	2
Lewis and Clark County	2
Meagher County	1
Jefferson County	1
Lincoln County	1
Beaverhead County	1
Other localities	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 12 Montana counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Northern flying squirrel holds 32 records in Montana, reaching from Red Rock Lakes to Flathead Lake and the Missouri River corridor’s forested edges. As a strictly nocturnal glider, the species is almost never seen in daylight, yet 31 of the 32 records are iNaturalist observations.

Reports show three loose peaks, February, July, and September, more likely reflecting scattered chance sightings than a single clean seasonal rhythm. NatureServe ranks the species S5, Secure, in Montana.

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 Montana 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"