Flying Squirrel: Unexpected Encounters While Climbing

Flying Squirrels: The Secret Night Gliders of the Limestone Cliffs

Most people associate flying squirrels with the forests of North America, but the real diversity of these remarkable mammals is found in Southeast Asia. Of the 52 known flying squirrel species worldwide, 47 live in Asia. One of them you can encounter regularly while climbing.

Around Green Climbers Home, three species of flying squirrels have been recorded. The one climbers are most likely to encounter is the Particolored Flying Squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger). Ironically, most sightings don't happen at night.

Between October and December, shortly after the rainy season, climbers occasionally discover these nocturnal mammals while climbing. During the wet months, when the limestone cliffs are almost undisturbed, the squirrels spend their days sleeping inside small holes and crevices in the rock. When a climbing party unexpectedly reaches their hiding place, they don't panic—they simply leap from the cliff and glide effortlessly to the nearest tree. Every now and then, a squirrel even uses a climber's shoulder or helmet as its final launch pad before disappearing into the forest, leaving behind one very surprised climber.

As the climbing season progresses and more routes become busy, the squirrels gradually abandon the popular cliffs for quieter parts of the valley. By the peak season, daytime encounters on climbing routes become uncommon. If you want to see them then, your best chance is after dark, deeper in the valley where the limestone remains undisturbed.