Flying Squirrel (Wild Animals by Papo)

Before we begin the review, I would like to thank Happy Hen Toys for sending this figure along as a review sample. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of animal figures, including some that are otherwise hard to come by in the United States. I highly recommend that you check out their selection.

Flying squirrels are a clade of over 50 species of squirrels known for their ability to glide (not fly) through the air thanks to a membrane of skin that stretches between their wrists and ankles, called a patagium. The United States is home to 3 species of flying squirrel, all belonging to the Glaucomys genus. While Japanese companies have produced Asian species of flying squirrels none of the New World species have been produced by western companies, aside from a 1/1 scale southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) by Safari. Now, for 2023, Papo has delivered a much more manageable sized figure of a New World flying squirrel for more scale conscious collectors.

What species the Papo squirrel represents we can’t really say. They’re all very similar. It is unlikely to be the Humboldt’s flying squirrel (G. oregonensis) as that species has a very limited range along the U.S. west coast and was until recently considered the same species as the northern. That leaves the northern and southern flying squirrels (G. sabrinus and G. volans). The differences between the two are subtle. On the northern species the belly hairs are white at their tips with a dark gray base. On the southern the belly hairs are white at both the base and tips. Northerns are also larger. And then there are range differences as well. The northern ranges from Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to North Carolina and Tennessee, and west to Utah. The southern ranges from southeastern Canada to Florida and west to Texas and into Central America. Since the underside of Papo’s figure has some gray coloration mixed in with the white, I’m going to label this figure as a northern flying squirrel, but it could be used to represent any of the three species.

The Papo flying squirrel is a small figure, measuring only 2.75” (6.98 cm) long and 1.75” (4.44 cm) wide. The actual flying squirrels are quite small too, with northerns measuring up to 14.5” (37 cm) and southerns up to 10.2” (26 cm). That puts the figure at 1/5 in scale for a northern and 1/3 in scale for a southern.

The figure is sculpted in a gliding pose, limbs and membrane outstretched. This makes it a fun little toy to play around with, you can make it “glide” around if you’re feeling so inclined.  It’s also an adorable little fellow and I don’t think anyone would argue that flying squirrels aren’t the cutest of squirrels. The head is short and rounded with gigantic black eyes.

 Fine details are well executed on this little figure. A little nose and mouth are discernable on the face, as are individual pads and digits on the paws. The tail has a flattened appearance which in life helps the squirrel to change its trajectory.

The figure is painted dark brown above and white and gray below. The gray coloration is probably there to convey depth and layers in the fur, not to accurately portray the fur color of the northern flying squirrel. The ears are edged in black and their insides pink, and the muzzle and toepads are dull purple. The edge of the patagium is painted black.

The Papo flying squirrel is a lovely little figure that should delight anyone enchanted by these enigmatic little nocturnal gliders. It should also be a welcome addition to any collection of North American animals, squirrels, or rodents. If you’re located within the United States, you can purchase the Papo flying squirrel over at Happy Hen Toys, here.