Is the Noronha skink's island reproductive strategy failing?

The Noronha skink is like a tiny lizard that lives on a special island and is trying to have baby lizards, but something might be going wrong with how it does this.

Imagine you're playing a game of pass the parcel, and every time someone passes the parcel, they add a new layer. That’s kind of what the Noronha skink does when it has babies, it adds more baby skinks to its island family. But if there are too many layers (or too many baby skinks), things might get crowded, and not all of them will survive.

Bold note: The Noronha skink lives only on one special island, like a tiny version of your bedroom that’s just for lizards.

Now imagine the island is getting too full, there's less food, more competition, and not enough space. That could be why scientists are wondering if the skinks' reproductive strategy is failing. It’s like when you invite too many friends over to play in your bedroom, eventually, it gets messy, and some kids might have to go home.

So the question becomes: Are there just too many lizards on the island now? That could mean the game of pass the parcel is getting harder for all the skinks.