Not sure if my Savannah Monitor has a cold

Question
I'm having a hard time trying to distinguish if my Savannah Monitor has a cold or not. He does hold his head up in his cage sometimes but I'm not sure if that is normal. Also how can I tell if he is coughing?

I'm not sure of his age but he is about 5 in. long. His enclosure is a 30 gal. tank. with a 100 watt basking light.
I just bought him last weekend and plan on getting a thermometer. I've been doing some research, but to be honest I'm still unsure on what kind of light he needs.
His diet consists of crickets and mealworms. He has been eating the mealworms but not the crickets. As far as his activity, he was very inquisitive yesterday but today he's just been sleeping in my shirt pocket. I appreciate your time concerning these matters and look forward to your answers.

Sincerely,

Donna

Answer
Hello Donna, you need to get a thermometer and a hygrometer to setup his enclosure accurately. You also should think about getting a larger enclosure. He will grow out of a 30 gallon soon, and switching cages often can be stressful. With any new reptile you should take him to the vet to get a check up and a fecal test done. Be sure he is already healhty. As for lighting, Monitors do not require UV lighting like most other reptiles but many people provide it saying that it brightens their colors and makes them more active but this hasn't been proven. However providing them with UV lighting will not harm them in any way if it is the correct kind.

As for coughing, if he holds his mouth open a lot, if he is making noises when his mouth is open, you hear a clicking noise when he is breathing, or any other respiratory infection symptoms can mean that he has a cold. But a vet check up will clear all of that up for you.



Good luck,
Yexalen