Why you should have both gauges *and* a temperature gun.

Been seeing some unfortunate advice given to our babyherpers lately that could get them into some trouble. So here i'm going to go over why you really should have both gauges, and a temperature gun too!

Myth:  as long as a snake has good sheds, you don't need a humidity gauge. 

Reality: Humidity affects more than sheds. It's not going to matter if they shed perfect if they've got a respiratory infection from being kept out of range for too long. So It does matter. You do need to keep humidity in range regardless of sheds, and you need a way to tell. My approach is to use a gauge to keep the ambient humidity at the lower end of their range, and then offer a humid hide on the warm side to give them the option to choose their humidity preference- just like you'd do with temperature.

Speaking of which. It really does help to have both gauges and a temperature gun for monitoring your temperature. Here's why. 

You cant keep a temp gun reading at all times. I've yet to find a "smart" temp gun that can record temps and report changes or send alarms to your phone if anything goes out of place, and that really can be a life saver for your animals. You absolutely *need* gauges for monitoring temperature over time, and controlling heat elements etc.

Having that said. Surface temps are different than ambient temps so having a temp gun is really useful too.

Think about it, a rock under a basking light's surface temp is going to read differently than one thats kept 6 inches away from the lamp- But the ambient probe on the wall nearby will still read the same regardless. So your ambient gauge isn't going to tell you if said rock's surface temp is getting hot enough to burn your snake (unless you're placing it directly ontop of it- which wouldn't make sense to do).

Guns are also much faster to get a quick idea of the range across the entire gradient, as it would take time for gauges to acclimate to get an accurate read if placed across the enclosure to understand the gradient (assuming you were using just one of course). A temp gun can do that within seconds.

Guns can give you instant readings for places that your gauge may not fit, like inside of a hatchlings super tight hide.

So they both have their purposes, and they're both good tools to have ya know?