Jeanne, your monitor is perfectly normal.
he lays under his warm hide, with half his body sticking out most of the time
that is an excellent behviour. he is basking while hiding. what he would normally do out in the wild with his head poking out of a burrow, rock outcropping, etc.

sounds like you're doing great with your sav. congrats!

Jeanne, did you ever get my reply to your pm?