# Can you help me identify these animals? WARNING: cuteness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 9, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102 "2008-10-09T01:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wygtya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wygtya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wygtya)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/1 "2008-10-09T01:12:42Z")
My son sent me this [link](http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=mrtdqjtfm4g&thumb=5) to a picture of some very cute animals. I say they are flying squirrels of some sort but he has searched and contends that they are not North American Flying Squirrels and will not rest until he determines their exact species. Does anyone know what these are? I’m sorry if this belongs in General Questions since it is a question but I think the “squee” inducing cuteness of them makes this the better forum. I have to go home now, but I’ll be back in the morning to see if somebody has identified them. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/2 "2008-10-09T01:23:29Z")
Hi, I never knew this before, but there are 43 species of flying squirrels!!! Maybe the cute photo is baby ones of these guys: [http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/Ann%20Novek\_Siberian%20Squirrel\_lendorav4.jpg](http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/Ann%20Novek_Siberian%20Squirrel_lendorav4.jpg) Siberian flying squirrels. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/3 "2008-10-09T02:20:56Z")
OMG! The cuteness! The big eyes, the little round bodies, the way their holding their little paws! So … much … cute … can’t Ahhhhhhh! _head explodes_ ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/4 "2008-10-09T02:32:51Z")
I think they may be Southern Flying Squirrels, based on [this photo](http://flickr.com/photos/odephoto/2495625783/in/photostream/), and others much like it via Google Images. It looks an awful lot like the Northern Flying Squirrel, but the Northern seems a little less grey than the Southern. Whatever they are, they are very, very cute, and should come live in my house. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/5 "2008-10-09T02:45:53Z")
VERY cute. We have flying squirrels of the Northern variety 'round our house. Our living room windows face the backyard, and if we turn on the outside lights we watch them fly from tree to tree if we’re up late enough. I also have a bird feeder that attaches to my office window with suction cups. More than once if I’m up late at night I’ve been scared out of my skin by a big THUMP as a squirrel attempt to attach itself to the feeder. When they do manage to get there, they sit there and eat, and I can walk right up to the window and watch them from about 3 inches away. They are really great little animals. Sorta like lil’ spirits of the woods that you only notice if you’re paying attention (I’ve asked the former owners of our house about them - they’d never noticed them at all.) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/6 "2008-10-09T02:51:10Z")
Any chance there are some sort of sugar glider? ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/7 "2008-10-09T03:23:36Z")
I’m going to go with _Pteromys momonga_, the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/8 "2008-10-09T03:55:58Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’m going to go with _Pteromys momonga_, the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel. Dangit! Just when I find [this pic](http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/4362/momonga.jpg) someone beats me to it. Oh and here’s an adorable flying squirrel on [youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0H879n9osE). This one also looks like the ones in the OP but since it was linked with the Estonian Forest Fund, I’m guessing it’s a species found there. And now I am feeling light-headed again from looking at so much cuteness. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/9 "2008-10-09T06:01:02Z")
They don’t look much like the flying squirrels around here in the Pacific Northwest, but then I’ve only seen glimpses of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/10 "2008-10-09T12:54:36Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’m going to go with _Pteromys momonga_, the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel. If Japan is widely inhabited by creatures of such unholy adorability…well, I think this might explain anime. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/11 "2008-10-09T16:42:19Z")
You need to send that pic to Cute Overload, stat! ---
**Author:** ![Wygtya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wygtya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wygtya)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/12 "2008-10-09T17:02:57Z")
I think that is it. Thanks and I do apologize for exposing you all to the cute overload. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/13 "2008-10-09T17:50:12Z")
They appear to be some sort of Tribble-esque lifeform, perhaps a Tribble/Squirrel/Hamster hybrid? ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/14 "2008-10-09T21:10:34Z")
Totally cute…they all look rather pensive, though, don’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/15 "2008-10-10T00:34:31Z")
I always thought they looked a bit **too** cute. Their little paws always together, as if plotting world domination. It’s all highly suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/16 "2008-10-10T15:11:39Z")
::dead of cute:: ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/17 "2008-10-10T16:23:50Z")
::joins pile of Dopers who have died of cute:: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/18 "2008-10-10T16:27:09Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’m going to go with _Pteromys momonga_, the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel. Is there something in the _water_ over there?! God…cute little kitties, cute little raccoon dogs, cute little anime characters, cute little foxes, cute little flying squirrels…it’s like Japan is the Island of Cute! ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/19 "2008-10-10T16:31:17Z")
They appear to be some form of free-roaming fuzzy testicle with eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102/20 "2008-10-10T17:39:24Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I always thought they looked a bit **too** cute. Their little paws always together, as if plotting world domination. It’s all highly suspicious. What not a lot of people know is that these “cute” little guys are vicious pack predators. Imagine breathing your last as you fall prey to a dozen cute, airborne [chupacabras](http://www.ghoststudy.com/para/pages/chupacabra.gif)! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-help-me-identify-these-animals-warning-cuteness/467102.md?page=2)