Maybe low food availability stress is a good thing?

[kinyonga]

"The study found that stressed moms gave birth to smaller offspring that grew more slowly than those born to low-stress mothers. Stressed mothers themselves were found to be in better physical shape after giving birth than non-stressed mothers"...
"Previous studies have also shown that smaller juvenile lizards often do better when predator density is high or when food availability is low"...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120419143121.htm

 

[kinyonga]

You might like to read this too...
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/720081

 

[Jikkermanccini]

Very interesting. That would make a whole lot of sense based on what I've seen, my female Vield that lived to over 5 years old never laid a single clutch, ad I think it was due to how little I actually fed her. Similar story for the current known world record, 11 years. Skinny little thing, but she's still alive.