I have up until this point relied on digital thermometers, but with my new AP cage, I went ahead and got a temp gun too...now I don't know what I would do without it. The digital thermometers are usually 5-8 degrees lower than what the temp gun is reading...I know that this is only measuring surface temperatures, but knowing that his hot hide is actually 90 on the glass and 88 on the surface is soooo comforting. I've removed most of the digital and just check with the gun twice a day now...no more thermometers for him to knock over or bury in the substrate. I even found that he eats better if I get the rats to exactly 102 - rat body temperature
But this brings up a question, What exactly are the digital thermometers measure? Is it air temperature, the surface they are on, or are they just not as accurate as the temp gun?