Flying squirrel gets trapped in Missouri birdhouse. See ‘the face of instant regret’

A little creature with big eyes found itself trapped inside a Missouri birdhouse, photos show.

Patsy Myers, of Alton, found the flying squirrel with its tiny head — and one foot — popping out of the feeder’s entrance hole, as seen in photos shared by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The critter’s large eyes appear to be begging for help.

“This is the face of instant regret,” Missouri Department of Conservation said in a July 26 Facebook post.

Fortunately, Myers was able to rescue the flying squirrel.

“Don’t worry - this rodent was able to fly again after she removed the roof and safely freed him,” state wildlife officials said. “Now we are all blessed with these images.”

Southern flying squirrels are “chipmunk-sized” rodents that often look like mice with their large eyes, big ears and upturned nose, according to the state department of conservation.

They can be found statewide in Missouri and are common in forested areas near water, officials said.

“Flying squirrels live in holes in trees, usually leftover woodpecker holes,” officials said. “They can squeeze into a hole about the size of a quarter, so they could even live in your wren house or attic. They prefer mature forests with plenty of old dead or rotten trees riddled with woodpecker holes.”

Some people enjoy flying squirrels so much that they’ll put out birdhouses meant for the rodents, according to the conservation department.

And while they are called flying squirrels, they technically glide through the air.

“Between its front and back legs is a loose flap of skin that the squirrel stretches out like a kite when it is ready to ‘fly,’” Missouri officials said.

Alton is about 140 miles southeast of Springfield.

This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Flying squirrel gets trapped in Missouri birdhouse. See ‘the face of instant regret’."