I have had a fair number of babies and here is my experience. I have not had a single baby that appeared to be squished by the Mom since I quit using newspaper. It did happen from time to time with the newspaper where I would find the baby smashed under the paper. Since I switched to Aspen, I have even left the mother in with the babies overnight many times just so I could see the Mom with the babies the following morning. No babies smooshed. I have also left the babies in with Mom for more than a week probably five times and once for about two weeks well after the babies shed. All this just to see the results. Several of these females were 8' Mommas that easily could have suffocated the little buggers.

In fact it is most interesting to watch the Mother. Though she isn't looking at the babies and certainly can't see everywhere she is sitting, she can feel those babies and will lift herself over them and crawl all around being ever so careful not to crush any of the little ones. It's really pretty amazing. When I've left them overnight, the Momma will be all coiled up with the babies within and all around those coils. On the cage bottom between the coils. Right in between the layers of Mom. On top of Mom. Crawling on Mom's head. But they stay very close to Mom and she watches over them like a Pit Bull. Makes for a little more excitement when it's time to get her out... LOL

When you found the dead neonates, were they under the newspaper? Just curious about that.
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• One downside of extra large female boids - Kelly_Haller, Fri Nov 7 00:25:45 2008
• RE: One downside of extra large female boids - TOM_CRUTCHFIELD, Fri Nov 7 04:58:28 2008
• Hey Kelly - boaphile, Fri Nov 7 09:30:22 2008
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• I would agree in most cases, but.... - Kelly_Haller, Sat Nov 8 00:03:17 2008
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