Zoo Buddy: Southern Flying Squirrel!

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Gina Marie! She’s a southern flying squirrel, and oh so cute.

She was rescued in NELA and raised at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo.

“They’re pretty amazing, they’re the smallest of the flying squirrels, but really they don’t fly, they glide,” says General Curator Lisa Taylor. “So they have this flap or membrane of skin attached from the wrist to the ankle of the squirrel, and this flap stretches out, and the squirrel jumps out of a tree like 50 feet in the air, and it glides to another tree or to the ground.”

Taylor says flying squirrels are so fast and are nocturnal, so they’re not easily visible in the wild. That’s why she’s a perfect ambassador animal for her species, allowing the public to see these incredible creatures.

They are omnivores.

They live in woodpecker holes and hide deep in the tree to get away from predators. Taylor says the great horned owl is their biggest threat.

“These guys actually glow in the dark, a pink color. In 2017, they discovered this by shining a fluorescent or ultraviolet light at them, and they lit up instantly,” explains Taylor. “They’re thinking these guys glow to communicate with other squirrels and to kind of trick the great horned owls.”

The Easter Extravaganza is this Saturday, April 4. It goes from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with food and family activities.

EasterEgg Hunt Times (Tentative):

11:00 am: 0-2 year old

11:30 am: 3-5 years old

12 pm: 6-8 years old

12:30 pm: 9-10 years old

Special needs hunts will be held in a separate area beginning at 11am.

While construction continues on the new Louisiana Purchase Exhibit, the Reptile Building is closed. Until then, you can request some reptiles at educational programs or birthday parties or you might just see one at the zoo when staff are taking them on a stroll. Call 318-329-2400 for more information.

Due to weather delays, construction crews believe the new exhibit will be open sometime this spring.

You can also volunteer with the zoo. Contact the Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society through their Facebook page.

The zoo is open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get tickets to feed the budgies, feed the tortoises, ride the boat, or ride the train at the front office.

Click here for a breakdown of their prices.