Gray squirrels usually have two mating seasons in a year; in mid-winter and early summer. The gray squirrel forms a pecking order usually with the oldest male squirrel as the top squirrel. There is a myth of red squirrels chasing gray or fox squirrels to castrate them. This is not true. This story came about because after the mating season in the fall, the ********* of fox and gray squirrels shrink so much in size that it looks like they have been removed. Also older squirrels during mating season will try to chase the younger males out of their territory and until they’re fully grown the young male’s ********* don’t descend. Squirrels rarely get into major fights among themselves. The worst fights occur when a female chases males away from her nest that contains her babies. She chases him nipping at his flanks to speed him on his way. Squirrels’ chasing each other is normal play behavior in a colony and males chase females until she decides to let him catch her. After mating the female chases the male away and she raises the litter by herself. If the doe did not protect her young, some male squirrels might kill the young to cause the doe to reenter estrus. The doe will prepare a nest of dry leaves, typically in a hollow tree. Eastern gray squirrel does as young as five and a half months old have been known to have pups. The gestation period is from forty-four to forty-six days. Litter size ranges from two to four pups; the winter litter is generally smaller than the summer litter. The average female produces six offspring each year.