Journal of Zoology. Print ISSN 0952-8369 Female reproductive suppression in an Australian arid zone rodent, the spinifex hopping mouse K. K. Berris1 , W. G. Breed1 , K. E. Moseby2,3 & S. M. Carthew4 1School of Biological Sciences,The University of Adelaide,Adelaide,SA,Australia 2Centre for Ecosystem Science,University of New South Wales,Sydney,NSW,Australia 3Arid Recovery,Roxby Downs,SA,Australia 4Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods,Charles Darwin University,Casuarina,NT,Australia Keywords Abstract Australia; Muridae; rodent; exotic predators; reproductive suppression; population density; arid The spinifex hopping mouse (Notomys alexis) is an Australian arid zone rodent that environments; Notomys alexis. undergoes boom and bust population cycles in its natural environment. Most popu- lations studied to date have been sympatric with exotic predators and introduced Correspondence herbivores, likely affecting their population dynamics. Therefore, it is unclear Karleah K. Berris, , PO Box 919, Kingscote, SA, whether high-density populations of hopping mice are regulated by purely extrinsic 5223 Australia. factors or whether intrinsic factors are also at play. We hypothesized that reproduc- Email:
[email protected] tive suppression of female N. alexis may occur in high-density populations as has been observed in some other rodent species. Reproductive condition of adult Editor: Nigel Bennett female N. alexis was compared between a high-density population within the Arid Recovery reserve, where exotic predators and introduced herbivores are excluded, Received 11 April 2020; revised 2 June 2020; and a low-density population on adjacent pastoral properties (no exclusions). Trap accepted 4 June 2020 success was 10 times higher inside the reserve than at pastoral sites, and no adult females were observed breeding in the reserve population, despite 26 % of females doi:10.1111/jzo.12813 at pastoral sites recorded breeding.