(Wiley Open Access, 2022) Leith, Freddie W.; Grigg, Jennifer L.; Barham, Peter J.
In long-lived
species, reproductive skipping is a common strategy whereby sexually
mature animals skip a breeding season, potentially reducing population growth. This
may be an adaptive decision to protect survival, or a non-adaptive
decision driven by
individual-specific
constraints. Understanding the presence and drivers of reproductive
skipping behavior can be important for effective population management, yet in
many species such as the endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), these
factors remain unknown.