Animal Cribs season 2, episode 8 review: Subterranean Paradise
Python, anyone? Animal Cribs’ latest episode gets a bit slitherly.
In episode six of Animal Planet’s Animal Cribs season 2,host Antonio Ballatore and his crew help firefighter Ricky Johnson and his twin teenage sons with their 20-foot, 200-pound python Jahee. They also have another smaller python named Jaundice and two boa constrictors.
Jahee has a fancy pond in the backyard to stay in, but she escapes, and since a massive snake out loose would terrify the neighbors, Ricky has to keep her inside when he’s away from the house. So, she likes to chill on the kitchen island.
There’s an enclosure in the basement, which also has a mostly-unused storage room.
Antonio’s solution is to knock out the basement wall separating the current enclosure from the storage room, turning it into a snake’s idea of paradise with lots of interesting rocks to climb on, a heated place to snooze, and a pond to swim in.
While crew members Aaron, Brandon and Natalya and do the initial demolition work, Antonio heads to rescue organization Wildlife Waystation to meet Martine Colette and learn more about pythons.
The rock enclosure is mostly made of colossal blocks of Styrofoam, with a concrete-like coating overlaying some heating coils and then decorative rocks on the outside.
Brandon works on a branch hangout for the boas in the driveway while the concrete is being applied, while Antonio pranks Natalya with his new pal Jaundice.
Rescue dog Edie gets to come along with Antonio to inspect some custom jungle-inspired Plexiglass artwork from the folks at design specialists Astek.
The crew also remodels Ricky’s old office into a bedroom for one of the boys, so they won’t have to share a room any longer. Christina makes sure to make fun of Antonio hauling Edie around in a baby vest carrier, too.
The Johnsons loved the new basement, with its artwork, temperature-controlled areas and artificial turf rugs, and the waterfall room that was the original snake space. The boys are also thrilled with their remodeled rooms.
Our thoughts
While we’re not huge on snakes here at Dog O’Day, some people like them. (You might be crazy to have one as a pet, though.) This was an interesting episode for sure with its scope, and it probably presented some interesting challenges for the crew.
We would have liked to see more of Edie, but those snakes were gigantic, so they could have totally eaten her. The Boxer sisters at the furniture store were cool, though.
Next. Antonio Ballatore talks design life, rescue dogs. dark
You can catch new episodes from Animal Cribs season 2 on Animal Planet each Friday night at 9 p.m. ET.