Assapan

/ˈæsəpæn/ noun

Definition

A flying squirrel native to North America; known for gliding between trees using wing-like membranes.

Etymology

From Powhatan (Virginia Algonquian) language assapan. This is one of the few English animal names borrowed directly from Native American languages.

Kelly Says

Flying squirrels can glide over 150 feet—the longest glides relative to body size of any mammal—and their Algonquian name 'assapan' is one of the few times English preserved Native American vocabulary.

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