Southern flying squirrels are among the most frequently recorded mammals in this dataset, with reports spanning the state from the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in the north Georgia mountains down through the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain and Cumberland Island on the coast. Wherever mixed hardwood forest still stands, whether mountain cove forest, Piedmont oak-hickory woods, or coastal maritime forest, this squirrel tends to turn up.
They’re strictly nocturnal and spend their days tucked inside tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, or dense leaf nests, only gliding out to forage after dark. That nighttime habit means most people never realize how many are living in the hardwoods around them, since they’re active while porch lights and daytime hikers are elsewhere.
Records run steady across the calendar with no sharp seasonal spike, which fits an animal that stays active year-round rather than migrating or shutting down for a long winter dormancy. Georgia’s mild winters likely help keep them foraging even in the colder months.
