Are there really squirrels in Australia that can fly?

Yes?!? But they do not have wings. Nor do they go around in aeroplanes. Strictly speaking, they do not “fly” . They glide on air currents from the branches of one tree to the next. Lots of squirrels are good jumpers, but these Australian ones have the edge over all the others.

They have a large flap of skin round their bodies, which joins their front and back legs. When they launch themselves off a branch, they spread out their legs. The skin flap spreads out , and forms a sort of parachute. Kitted out like this, flying squirrels can glide quite long distances. They wouldn’t think anything of launching out on a flight of forty or fifty metres.

GLOSSARY:

launch one’s off = lançar-se

kit out = prover