Fox squirrels generally have two breeding seasons per year. Most breeding occurs in December through February and May through June of each year. Fox squirrels are most commonly found in oak-hickory forests in the northern parts of their range. In the south they are found in longleaf pine-turkey oak associations and other mixed forests, including cypress and mangrove swamps. The efforts to prevent unwanted fires in areas heavily populated by humans in recent decades have removed this physical factor from these areas.
Fires favor longleaf pines and suppress populations of oak, hickory and other hardwood trees.
Fire also burns underbrush and ground layer species and rapidly turns over nutrients in standing dead biomass. The longleaf pine survive the fires and live to maturity and beyond. The thick bark, the long needles and the growth pattern of this species enhance its survivorship in these fires. Sections of the thick bark actually pop off the tree as it burns carrying the heat away from the tree. The long needles protect the meristematic area of the seedling from the damaging effects of the fire.