Which term describes animals that do not care for their young for an extended amount of time?

Which term describes animals that do not care for their young for an extended amount of time?

• A. Semelparous
• B. Iteroparous
• C. Viviparous
• D. Oviparous

Answer: (A)

Understanding reproductive strategies and parental care helps here. Semelparous species reproduce only once in their lifetime and typically invest little or no energy in caring for their offspring afterward, so there’s no extended parental care. That matches the idea of not caring for the young for an extended period. Iteroparous species reproduce multiple times and may provide more ongoing parental involvement, which doesn’t fit the description as neatly. Viviparous and oviparous describe how offspring are produced (live birth vs eggs) but don’t by themselves specify the duration of parental care, so they’re less directly related to the question. So, the term that best fits “do not care for their young for an extended amount of time” is semelparous.

Understanding reproductive strategies and parental care helps here. Semelparous species reproduce only once in their lifetime and typically invest little or no energy in caring for their offspring afterward, so there’s no extended parental care. That matches the idea of not caring for the young for an extended period.

Iteroparous species reproduce multiple times and may provide more ongoing parental involvement, which doesn’t fit the description as neatly. Viviparous and oviparous describe how offspring are produced (live birth vs eggs) but don’t by themselves specify the duration of parental care, so they’re less directly related to the question.

So, the term that best fits “do not care for their young for an extended amount of time” is semelparous.