Please help, first large boa, questions!

[Mina]

I adopted a female red tail boa the day before yesterday. The person I got her from rescued her, she had been purchased by a young man who was told he couldn't have a snake and bought one anyway. I'm sure she was kept in less than good conditions, and was finally found by the young man's father who took her into the back yard to shoot her. Her second owner, the one I got her from, took her away and nursed her back to health, he said she was very skinny. She is about 6 ft long and only about as big around as my hands put together making a circle. I thought for a red tail this was underweight, so I was very confused when he informed me that he had bred her in December, and she might be gravid!!!!!!! Why would you breed a snake that had just recovered from malnutrition?
Anyway, I'm not sure if she if gravid or not, she does seem to have a bulge that looks as if she just got done with a good meal. Is there any way to tell? I know if she if gravid she can't be handled and we kept that to as much of a minimum as we could in moving her here.
I need to know if there is any way to tell is she is gravid or not, and if I should treat her as she is until I find out differently.
How should I treat her, how much and when should she eat? He said he bred her in December but couldn't remember the date, so she could have babies any time from now until the end of April.
What do I do for her and the babies if she has them? I don't want to harm or injure her or her possible babies out of ignorance. Thanks for reading this whole thing, advice, please!!!

[JimiSnakes]

Hi. You need to first post some pics of her. I can usually tell if a girl is gravid by a good couple pics. Is she coiled over the heat? Tightly? I'd feed her small smaller meals, but if she was bred in the end of December, that makes her due date about....Mid April or so. Feed her mid sized meal, if she takes...don't make her, and then keep a good eye on her for another month. First! Post a few pics of her.

[Mina]

I will, as soon as the hubby gets home, he has the camera. I just want the best for her, she is such a sweetie!!!! She is coiled tightly under her heat emitter at the moment, but she hasn't been that way without moving. She does move about in the evening.

[JimiSnakes]

99% of the time, a boa will continually move from heat to cool when gravid and that is about it. It's a tight coil...like this one:


Also, look for scale seperation, like this:


Get some pics up and I'll let you know what I think.