Nocturnal Tree Creature Identification

[smithchick231]

I have a massive 100 year old(approx) White Oak tree in my backyard, about 25 feet from my house and motion lights. The past 2 weeks, I have noticed the motion lights on at night and when I investigate, I cannot find anything setting them off(i.e. possums, coons, buggies, people, etc..) About 3 nights ago, hubby and I were out back and were startled by a little creature attempting to get to the sunflower seeds in the feeder attached to the tree. Hubby claimed it was a chipmunk, but Im not so sure. It was about chipmunk size, however, it has a skinny tail the same length as its body (about 4-5inches best guestimate). I thought maybe a baby squirrel, but there are no nests visible in the tree.
Tonight I saw it again. Its super fast, zipping all around and up and down the tree- too fast for even my trigger happy camera finger. Tonight I watched it for a little bit and unfortunately given my covert angle, I could not see it clearly. Plus it moved soo fast I just couldnt get a sense of it, I was just seeing a little furry blur zooming around the tree. I am a southern Maryland lifer and have never seen anything like it.
Does anyone have a guess as to what it is? Im pretty sure its not dangerous, but I cant think of anything that comes out at night around here, that size and shape and so fast moving. I dont think its a baby possum since its so fast. I can tell you its light colored. I cant even say if its light gray, brown, white, or creamy. Its just light colored. Could it be a chimpmunk? Do they have tails as long as their bodies? If by some miracle this thing sits still long enough I can even capture a blur on camera, I will post the pic. Satisying my curiosity is greatly appreciated. I am in La Plata. I did see one of those black squirrels about 1/2 mile from my house last week.:shrug:

 

[FireBrand]

It's a rabid miniature flesh eating flying badger
Get out of there quickly and put your property up for sale !

 

[jaksprat]

Did it look like this? Could be a flying squirrel which is nocturnal. I caught over 10 of them in my attic. They're chipmunk size but look like a squirrel with big eyes.

 

[smithchick231]

lmao. and really, flying squirrels in our area? it could be i guess if they really are in the southern maryland area.it was smaller than a squirrel.

 

[desertrat]

lmao. and really, flying squirrels in our area? it could be i guess if they really are in the southern maryland area.it was smaller than a squirrel.

Yep they are.

 

[smithchick231]

i still like the rabid tree badger idea lmao. huh, I did google the flying squirrel and Im pretty sure that is it. Right size, looked like a cross between and chimpmunk and squirrel and noctornal. Just goes to show that even after 27 years in SoMD you can still learn something about the area! Cool and thank you!

 

[jaksprat]

i still like the rabid tree badger idea lmao. huh, I did google the flying squirrel and Im pretty sure that is it. Right size, looked like a cross between and chimpmunk and squirrel and noctornal. Just goes to show that even after 27 years in SoMD you can still learn something about the area! Cool and thank you!

It's no lie, I really caught over 10 in my attic - I think it was 12 altogether. I'm in lower Calvert BTW. They were getting in through a hole in the facia. I used live traps and released them in the woods far away from the house. I also caught 1 climbing on the brick fireplace inside the house. My GF woke me up in the middle of the night and said something was crawling on the wall! I used a fishing net to catch it, took it outside on the deck, and before I could release it, the damn thing jumped out of the net and 'flew' over the rail. Damnest thing I ever saw. When I released them in the woods, they ran away kind of funny, half jumping and half running, and would run up the first tree they could find. Their eyes are real big which probably helps them at night. Cute little buggers.

 

[Katelin]

Ahh..the antics of the Southern Flying Squirrel....very funny, very fast... I have 2 in the rehab clinic...good guys to have as they eat all sorts of bugs that are harmful to trees. Not so good to have living in yout attic as they chew on any and everything!

I also have black squirrels in rehab..all they are, are common gray squirrels..
Here is a great article explaining why we have black squirrels in this area!
Wash Post

Enjoy the wildlife, esp your small flying squirrels,,,the true clowns of the tree tops!!

(Put out a flood lamp with a red bulb, sit outside, put up a serving of sunflower seeds and watch them come around!!!)

Here is one that I rescued, rehabbed and later released...
SFS

 

[itsbob]

I have a massive 100 year old(approx) White Oak tree in my backyard, about 25 feet from my house and motion lights. The past 2 weeks, I have noticed the motion lights on at night and when I investigate, I cannot find anything setting them off(i.e. possums, coons, buggies, people, etc..) About 3 nights ago, hubby and I were out back and were startled by a little creature attempting to get to the sunflower seeds in the feeder attached to the tree. Hubby claimed it was a chipmunk, but Im not so sure. It was about chipmunk size, however, it has a skinny tail the same length as its body (about 4-5inches best guestimate). I thought maybe a baby squirrel, but there are no nests visible in the tree.
Tonight I saw it again. Its super fast, zipping all around and up and down the tree- too fast for even my trigger happy camera finger. Tonight I watched it for a little bit and unfortunately given my covert angle, I could not see it clearly. Plus it moved soo fast I just couldnt get a sense of it, I was just seeing a little furry blur zooming around the tree. I am a southern Maryland lifer and have never seen anything like it.
Does anyone have a guess as to what it is? Im pretty sure its not dangerous, but I cant think of anything that comes out at night around here, that size and shape and so fast moving. I dont think its a baby possum since its so fast. I can tell you its light colored. I cant even say if its light gray, brown, white, or creamy. Its just light colored. Could it be a chimpmunk? Do they have tails as long as their bodies? If by some miracle this thing sits still long enough I can even capture a blur on camera, I will post the pic. Satisying my curiosity is greatly appreciated. I am in La Plata. I did see one of those black squirrels about 1/2 mile from my house last week.:shrug:

All I can add is I haven't seen a chipmunk since I moved to MD.. and they aren't Nocturnal. Had a yard full of Chipmunks in NH, but again, have seen one here.

 

[Katelin]

All I can add is I haven't seen a chipmunk since I moved to MD.. and they aren't Nocturnal. Had a yard full of Chipmunks in NH, but again, have seen one here.

You are so right Bob!! We do not have the proper habitat for chipmunks...I have one here in rehab, but it has to be released back in where it came from...a nice rocky outcrop in No. Maryland.
We had tons of them when I lived in NH..got into everything!!!

But here in SoMD..we have no rocky outcrops, stone walls, etc. for them to live.
All we have are gray squirrels and the nocturnal southern flying squirrels.
On the eastern shore, they have the endngered Delmarva squirrel.

 

[jaksprat]

I also have black squirrels in rehab..all they are, are common gray squirrels..
Here is a great article explaining why we have black squirrels in this area!
Wash Post

That's a great article on black squirrels...never knew that. I was wondering why I used to see them up in PG County but not so much down here. Come to think of it, I can't remember seeing any down here.

 

[Katelin]

That's a great article on black squirrels...never knew that. I was wondering why I used to see them up in PG County but not so much down here. Come to think of it, I can't remember seeing any down here.

I was surprised too!!! I was up in Niagra, NY and saw a good number of them on the Canadian side of the river...HUGE dudes....solid, black..eating walnuts..some were down on the island between the American and Canadian Falls.....
After I rescued the pair..I started researching them..and amazed at what I found!!! Pretty cool!!

 

[Wenchy]

I was surprised too!!! I was up in Niagra, NY and saw a good number of them on the Canadian side of the river...HUGE dudes....solid, black..eating walnuts..some were down on the island between the American and Canadian Falls.....
After I rescued the pair..I started researching them..and amazed at what I found!!! Pretty cool!!

I worked for six years in Silver Spring during the 80's. People didn't believe me when I told them we had black squirrels.

From the article:

Flyger devoted himself to studying squirrels because, as he explains it, they weigh less than a deer and don't bite like a polar bear. He used to smear a tree behind his Silver Spring home with a mixture of peanut butter and Valium and then tattoo the squirrels that he found passed out below.

I fed mine, but would have never drugged them.

I have yet to see a flying squirrel IRL. My night vision is quite poor. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Libertarian]

lmao. and really, flying squirrels in our area? it could be i guess if they really are in the southern maryland area.it was smaller than a squirrel.

Yes, flying squirrels really are in southern Maryland. You don't see them often since they are nocturnal and very quick. The few times I have seen them it has been at bird-feeders on tree trunks at night while they were getting seeds from the feeders. They are much smaller (about the size of a chipmunk or a little bigger) than the gray squirrels that you see during the daytime.

 

[navigator]

Ahh..the antics of the Southern Flying Squirrel....very funny, very fast... I have 2 in the rehab clinic...good guys to have as they eat all sorts of bugs that are harmful to trees. Not so good to have living in yout attic as they chew on any and everything!

I also have black squirrels in rehab..all they are, are common gray squirrels..
Here is a great article explaining why we have black squirrels in this area!
Wash Post

Enjoy the wildlife, esp your small flying squirrels,,,the true clowns of the tree tops!!

(Put out a flood lamp with a red bulb, sit outside, put up a serving of sunflower seeds and watch them come around!!!)

Here is one that I rescued, rehabbed and later released...
SFS

I saw a black squirrel on Clark's Landing Road last Sunday. I thought I was seeing things! Thanks for the info.

 

[Katelin]

I worked for six years in Silver Spring during the 80's. People didn't believe me when I told them we had black squirrels.

From the article:

I fed mine, but would have never drugged them.

I have yet to see a flying squirrel IRL. My night vision is quite poor. Thanks for the pics.

If you want to meet on in real life PM me... They are small, fast and very cute...

 

[Katelin]

I saw a black squirrel on Clark's Landing Road last Sunday. I thought I was seeing things! Thanks for the info.

Populations of black squirrels are moving south along the rivers...they need to migrate to establish new terriroty as their families grow...and the rivers are a natural safe corridor to travel!

 

[Katelin]

Here are a bunch of pics of Caleb from last fall.... (black squirrel)
He was a baby and on formula..and a really cure dude!!!