The squirrel was seen near the bird feeder regularly supplied by visitors to the park
Novo-Peredelkino residents claim to have seen a flying squirrel (белка-летяга) in Ulyanovsky Park. This squirrel has never been found in Moscow area before. It is red-listed (занесена в Красную книгу) in Moscow, Ryazan, Smolensk and Tver regions.
A squirrel owes its name to a peculiar body structure. This nocturnal animal uses its side skin folds to jump up to 50 m high. According to Mospriroda experts, local flying squirrels breed in old hollow trees (дуплистое дерево) growing in the centre of Ulyanovsky Park. Thanks to forest conservation in Ulyanovsky Park and local residents’ care, they can find a comfortable home there.
This kind of squirrels prefer dense forests (густой лес). A couple of squirrels have two to five young per year. The animals feed on berries, mushrooms, birch catkins (“сережки” на березах), buds and leaves.
