 The
flying squirrel's fore foot has four toes and four claws. A good
way to remember this is "fore paws = four claws". A vestigial appendage
is present on the fore foot, but because it serves no known purpose it
is not considered to be a toe.Though they are not as dexterous as the fore feet of a raccoon, for example, the fore feet of a flying squirrel are capable of fine movement and possess quite sensitive pads. This is necessary for the tasks for grooming, holding and manoeuvering various foodstuffs and grabbing footholds on various surfaces. A flying squirrel's curved claws are not retractable like a cat's claws - they are always exposed. And they are sharp. The claws are not designed for defensive use - they are designed for good launches into glide, for grabbing on to vertical landing points, for running along branches, and for digging for hypogeous fungi in the forest soil. Claws are absolutely essential for a flying squirrel's survival, for without them it could not easily, (if at all), walk, run, land, take off or hang off branches to get at food. Which means they could not easily, (if at all), forage for food or escape predation. In harsh, extremely cold winters, the northern flying squirrel will normally grow hair tufts between its toe and heel pads. The hair's roots and follicles will then become dormant in Spring, not to become active until the next winter. See picture on the right (left hind foot) which illustrates this growth of fur. Southern flying squirrels are not known to possess this particular adaptation. The hind foot has five toes and five claws. This arrangement (fore toes on the fore paws and five toes on the hind paws) is the case for all squirrels. The hind foot is articulated in such a fashion as to make it capable of great rotation. This adaptation allows the squirrel to easily walk down tree trunks "upside down", as its hind feet will rotate to a postion almost 180 degrees from a forward-facing position.  The flying squirrels hind legs are extremely powerful for their size. Employed for climbing, sitting and running, the hind legs are also an intregal part of the gliding sequence. The launch, as described in the locomotion section, is completely reliant upon the hind legs to push the animal up, out and away from its launch point. When agitated, a flying squirrel will often perform what we call "the war dance" with its hind legs - stamping its feet in an alternating fashion until the source of the annoyance has either left or determined to be of no immediate threat. The feet also play an important role in scent marking of territory, arboreal routes and food. Special scents are produced by glands that emit throught sweat pores on the pads of the feet. Different scents mark arboreal routes along tree branches and also launch points. Other scents mark food that has been handled and cached. Scents also denote a squirrel's territory. You and I cannot smell a thing, but other flying squirrels can tell quite a bit about who left what scent where, and why. This is one area of study that needs much more attention. |