---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense…"
description: "\"Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense a flyer. On the ground, he is more helpless than a chipmunk, because less agile. He can only sail or slide do..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png"
---

#  Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense a flyer. On the…

![“Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense a flyer. On the ground, he is more helpless than a chipmunk, because less agile. He can only sail or slide down a steep incline from the top of one tree to the foot of another.” quote by John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png)

> “Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense a flyer. On the ground, he is more helpless than a chipmunk, because less agile. He can only sail or slide down a steep incline from the top of one tree to the foot of another.”

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Highlights the squirrel’s limited flight, emphasizing adaptation to its environment.

**In simple terms:** Squirrels glide, not truly fly.

Key Takeaway

Accept and work within limits.

Themes

adaptation limitations nature

Mood

thoughtful observational

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

- wildlife observation
- education
- conservation planning
- outdoor activities

Key Concepts

biology ecology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you adapt to your own limits?
- What can we learn from species with constrained abilities?

A Different Perspective

May underestimate the animal’s capabilities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Squirrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squirrel/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/)

## Related quotes

> [The wingsuit is basically the flying squirrel suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/the-wingsuit-is-basically-the-flying-squirrel-suit/)

[Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/)

> [Flying Squirrel remind me of Ultimate Warrior because he a little rat when he jump in ring like that idiot Jose Canseco or Mel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-iron-sheik/flying-squirrel-remind-me-of-ultimate-warrior-because-he-a-little-rat/)

[The Iron Sheik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-iron-sheik/)

> [“I’m flying!” Of course, I’m not flying so much as coasting over the treetops like a hand glider or a freakishly large flying squirrel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/i-m-flying-of-course-i-m-not-flying-so-much-as-coasting-over-the/)

[Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/)

> [One reason, doubtless, why squirrels are so bold and reckless in leaping through the trees is that, if they miss their hold and fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/one-reason-doubtless-why-squirrels-are-so-bold-and-reckless-in/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [The red squirrel is more common and less dignified than the gray, and oftener guilty of petty larceny about the barns and grain-fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/the-red-squirrel-is-more-common-and-less-dignified-than-the-gray-and/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [“I watch a small tree squirrel, basking in the early morning sun, in my garden, and smile. No longer do I feel the urge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/i-watch-a-small-tree-squirrel-basking-in-the-early-morning-sun-in-my/)

[Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/)

> [“A squirrel flies in," said Dr. Meescham. "This I did not expect at all. It is what I love about life, that things happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/a-squirrel-flies-in-said-dr-meescham-this-i-did-not-expect-at-all-it/)

[Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/)

> [“It’s all very Super Secret Squirrel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/qwen-salsbury/it-s-all-very-super-secret-squirrel/)

[Qwen Salsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/qwen-salsbury/)

> [I actually put Jubilee in 'Squirrel Girl.' I made it a priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-north/i-actually-put-jubilee-in-squirrel-girl-i-made-it-a-priority/)

[Ryan North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-north/)

> [“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-surprised-her-by-signing-you-are-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [You can't keep a squirrel on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lasswell/you-can-t-keep-a-squirrel-on-the-ground/)

[Mary Lasswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lasswell/)

> [She's as nutty as squirrel poo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-s-as-nutty-as-squirrel-poo/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There are cameras nowadays that have been developed to tell the difference between a squirrel and a bomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-are-cameras-nowadays-that-have-been-developed-to-tell-the/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Groundhog Day: 'This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/groundhog-day-this-is-one-time-where-television-really-fails-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The squirrel in my yard really knows his way around the neighborhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/the-squirrel-in-my-yard-really-knows-his-way-around-the-neighborhood/)

[Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/)

## More by John Burroughs

> [As life nears its end with me, I find myself meditating more and more upon the mystery of its nature and origin, yet without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/as-life-nears-its-end-with-me-i-find-myself-meditating-more-and-more/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [Certainly in the United States, you have a constituency in the form of the weapons laboratories, and you also have the branches of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/certainly-in-the-united-states-you-have-a-constituency-in-the-form-of/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [When Darwin published his conclusion that man was descended from an apelike ancestor who was again descended from a still lower type, most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/when-darwin-published-his-conclusion-that-man-was-descended-from-an/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [Science sees the process of evolution from the outside, as one might a train of cars going by, and resolves it into the physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/science-sees-the-process-of-evolution-from-the-outside-as-one-might-a/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/maybe-that-will-happen-with-other-countries-as-well-and-so-that-s-why/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [One can only learn his powers of action by action, and his powers of thought by thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/one-can-only-learn-his-powers-of-action-by-action-and-his-powers-of/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [I was born with a chronic anxiety about the weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-was-born-with-a-chronic-anxiety-about-the-weather/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [When the woodpecker is searching for food, or laying siege to some hidden grub, the sound of his hammer is dead or muffled and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/when-the-woodpecker-is-searching-for-food-or-laying-siege-to-some/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [In what bold relief stand out the lives of all walkers of the snow! The snow is a great tell-tale, and blabs as effectually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/in-what-bold-relief-stand-out-the-lives-of-all-walkers-of-the-snow/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [In October, a maple tree before your window lights up your room like a great lamp. Even on cloudy days, its presence helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/in-october-a-maple-tree-before-your-window-lights-up-your-room-like-a/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [One can return to their place of birth, but one cannot go back to your youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/one-can-return-to-their-place-of-birth-but-one-cannot-go-back-to-your/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [I still find each day too short..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/i-still-find-each-day-too-short/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [What a severe yet master artist old Winter is... No longer the canvas and the pigments, but the marble and the chisel...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/what-a-severe-yet-master-artist-old-winter-is-no-longer-the-canvas/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [Following World War II, the U.S. was the architect of the UN system, and the world financial system, and the Human Rights Declaration, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/following-world-war-ii-the-u-s-was-the-architect-of-the-un-system-and/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [“Go to the sea or climb the mountain, and with the ruggedest and the savagest you will find likewise the fairest and the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/go-to-the-sea-or-climb-the-mountain-and-with-the-ruggedest-and-the/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

[Explore all 281 John Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

## More More quotes

> [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/)

[Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/)

> [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/)

[LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/)

[Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/)

> [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/)

[Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/)

[Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/)

[Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/)

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I have always worked really hard off the court. I think it's helped me play more consistently on the tour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-draper/i-have-always-worked-really-hard-off-the-court-i-think-it-s-helped-me/)

[Jack Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-draper/)

Browse all 30,914 More quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense a flyer. On the ground, he is more helpless than a chipmunk, because less agile. He can only sail or slide down a steep incline from the top of one tree to the foot of another.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Burroughs"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sense-a-flyer-on-the-ground-he-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "More"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sense-a-flyer-on-the-ground-he-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/john-burroughs-1157_more_our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sens_1660890.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our flying squirrel is in no proper sense a flyer. On the ground, he is more helpless than a chipmunk…” — John Burroughs",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Burroughs",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our flying squirrel is in no...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sense-a-flyer-on-the-ground-he-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/our-flying-squirrel-is-in-no-proper-sense-a-flyer-on-the-ground-he-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
