I didn't notice the gaps like that in the one that came with mine however I still don't trust it, I calibrated it, as you must do, by using my room temperature and another thermometer which I trusted to be close, however when compared to the one I just bought for 3 dollars and change from Fleet Farm, it is 8 degrees low at 99-100, so when I had my incubator at 99.5 with that thermometer on my first run, I was actually at 106-108! I won't use that cheapo thermometer again.