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Friday, March 4, 2011

Not really flying: The Siberian Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans) - WWF maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards FROM Estonia (Eesti) ("FROM", not "ABOUT" Estonia, because they are really postmarked locally). Happy Postcard Friendship Friday! meme.

Mother Nature, or The Supreme Genetic Engineer gave this species the skinny - the furry glide membrane or patagium, a flap of skin that stretches between the front and rear legs.

"By spreading this membrane the flying squirrel may glide from tree to tree across distances of over a hundred meters, and have been known to record a glide ratio of 3.31, but is normally 1-1.5.[2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Flying_Squirrel


It would have been better if the postcards didn't have the basically identical, enlarged image of each matching stamp. Viva variety, you National Postal Administrations! :)
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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!
Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ (wait until Beth posts the today's Linky tool for the meme, then make your entry, if you want to join).

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6 comments:

  1. GattinaMarch 4, 2011 at 9:49 AM

    That's a rather strange animal, never heard of a flying squirrel, lol !

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sheila @ A Postcard a DayMarch 4, 2011 at 11:39 AM

    I always thought flying squirrels were tropical so I've just looked them up. It's amazing, to me, how many different species there are.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JoyMarch 4, 2011 at 12:48 PM

    To see them fly from tree to tree is an amazing sight. (Unfortunately I've only seen this on film). You'll have to explain to the postal admin about how to produce a Maximum card:-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. SnapMarch 4, 2011 at 1:58 PM

    Flying squirrels ... sometimes i think the squirrels in my neighborhood have a little of the flying ability... fascinating critters... happy pff (I'm with Joy ...)

    ReplyDelete
  5. viridianMarch 4, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Interesting creatures. I don't like city squirrels - just rats with fluffy tails.

    ReplyDelete
  6. FunoldhagMarch 5, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    We don't have any flying squirrels here but we have squirrels of all colors - brown, gray and black. Had never seen a black one until we moved to Michigan. Such determined little creatures!

    ReplyDelete

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