Found predominantly in open forest habitats of oak and pine where older, cavity-filled trees are located (Whitaker and Hamilton 1998). In northern portions of its range (southern Appalachians and points north), oak-hickory groves are preferred. In the southern portions of its range (lower Piedmont and Coastal Plain), long-leaf or loblolly pine and oak woods, pine flatwoods and open borders of cypress swamps and low thickets are preferred (Webster et al. 1985, Brown 1997, Whitaker and Hamilton 1998). Broken forest, scattered woods in farmland and other half-wooded situations with nut or cone bearing trees are also used to a great extent. Less abundant in forests with predominantly closed canopies where gray squirrels dominate (Webster et al. 1985). This squirrel does well in city parks, golf course settings and suburban areas.

NATURE SERVE GLOBAL HABITAT COMMENTS:

Often in open mixed hardwood forest or mixed pine-hardwood associations, but has adapted well to disturbed areas, hedgerows, and city parks. In Michigan, four favorite habitats in descending order: oak-hickory forests, beech-basswood-maple, scrub oak, and floodplains (Allen 1943). In the southeastern U.S., prinicipal habitat is mature open forests of longleaf pine and turkey oak with an open understory; adjacent bottomland hardwood forests may be occupied in summer and during periods of drought (see Handley 1991). Western range extensions are associated with riparian corridors of cottonwoods and fencerows of osage orange. Dens are in tree hollows (preferred) or leaf nests (especially in mild weather). Young are born in a tree cavity or leaf nest; tree hollows are preferred for rearing young. Individuals use up to about nine nests annually.

A few particular plant communities of the Coastal Plain appear to be important in maintaining fox squirrel populations there. The structure, age, diversity, and extent of these communities within the overall pine-oak forest provide an array of often subtle requirements for the success of the squirrel in the Southeast (Weigl et al. 1989).

In Florida and North Carolina, habitats are primarily longleaf pine (PINUS PALUSTRIS)-turkey oak (QUERCUS LAEVIS) sandhills characterized by large, well-spaced pines and an understory of scattered or clumped oaks (Moore 1953, Kantola 1986, Weigl et al. 1989, Cox 1990), although squirrels may also be found in other open pine stands, mixed pine-hardwood forests, and in ecotones between forest types. Habitat structure, specifically the size and spacing of pine and oak trees, appears to be more important than the actual species composition of the habitat (Taylor 1973, Hilliard 1979, Weigl et al. 1989). Only stands with large mature trees appear to supply adequate supplies of food and nesting sites. The large size of the eastern fox squirrel appears to adapt it to the openness of the pine-oak forest and the arrangements of habitats within the Coastal Plain. Large size is advantageous in handling the large cones of longleaf pine and in traveling along the ground between widely spaced trees, food sources, and blocks of habitat (Weigl et al. 1989).

Use of edge habitats by fox squirrels is repeatedly mentioned in the literature (Smith and Follmer 1972, Flyger and Smith 1980, Nixon et al. 1984, Kantola 1986, Weigl et al. 1989, Cox 1990). While fox squirrels in North Carolina Sandhills used pine-oak forest at least 80 percent of the time, there was marked seasonality in habitat use. During the winter months, fox squirrel activity was significantly higher in edge habitats and in bottomland forest, while in the summer months activity shifted from open pinelands and sand ridges toward moister lowlands (Weigl et al. 1989). Based on a one-year study of Florida fox squirrels, Kantola and Humphrey (1990) suggested that the best habitats may be the edges between longleaf pine savanna and live oak (QUERCUS VIRGINIANA) forest where the availability of oak mast may be most dependable from year to year.

Weigl et al. (1989) showed that fox squirrels chose nest sites surrounded by vegetation typical of longleaf pine-turkey oak forest (Wells and Shunk 1931, Braun 1964, Waggoner 1975, Christensen 1988). Fox squirrels nested in areas characterized by open, low diversity, mature forest with little understory and xeric conditions. This contrasted markedly with conditions typical of gray squirrel nest sites, which generally were in areas of closed-canopy, high diversity, dense understory, and generally mesic conditions.

Nests are of critical importance to the survival of fox squirrels throughout their range, and nest selection and use by eastern fox squirrels has received considerable attention (Moore 1957, Hilliard 1979, Flyger and Smith 1980, Weigl et al. 1989, Kantola and Humphrey 1990). Tree hollows are particularly important in rearing young and for protection from severe weather for all tree squirrels.

Fox squirrels in the southeastern U.S. often use hardwood cavities in deciduous forest, bottomlands, and mixed forests, despite the fact that the majority of foraging takes place in pine-dominated stands. Kantola and Humphrey (1990) also reported higher nest use in lower slope situations than on drier sandhill areas. Suitable hollows are fairly scarce in pine-oak forests, primarily owing to timber management practices, firewood cutting, and oak suppression (Weigl et al. 1989; Weigl, pers. comm.), but are more abundant in adjacent more mesic habitats.