Scaled! Animal Planet’s Latest Reptile Show

The show is currently airing its first series in the UK, so we caught up with Lucas Neter, one of the show's presenters, to find out more.

The interview

Hi Lucas. The show looks great! Can you give us a quick rundown of what the show is about?

Yes, sure. If you've seen Tanked on Animal Planet you'll see some similarities, but our show features reptile enclosures instead of fish tanks. Essentially we build awesome reptile enclosures like you've never seen, while at the same time helping to educate the audience about these magnificent animals.

We always start the show by meeting the clients, and by that we mean both the human clients and the reptile clients. We like to get to know them, find out what they're into, and how they might like their new enclosures to look and perform. From there the team sits down to discuss how we're going to tackle the project, with everyone throwing ideas into the mix based on their specialist area. It is really important for us to capture the hopes and dreams of the client and meet all the needs of the animals that will call these enclosures home.

By the time the building work begins we're already working on the design and interior hardscaping, along with getting the tech installed to make sure the animal's husbandry needs are perfectly taken care of. There's a lot to consider and a lot going on, as you can imagine, and it all comes together just in time for the big reveal at the end of the show.

There's quite a big team involved with each project. Who's who?

The herp scene in Canada is small compared to other countries, so we all pretty much knew each other or had worked together before. I guess the team really started with Greg, who is the owner of Cornel's World, a company that's been building high-end reptile enclosures for a few years now. I'm the show's habitat developer, responsible for the interior design of the enclosures, and we have a couple of exceptional herp husbandry nerds on the team too: Big Jay (Jason) and Tyrone.

Then we have the build specialists: Chris, who is Greg's best friend and our project manager and carpenter, and Rachel, who is our lead carpenter. Without Rachel we couldn't have pulled this all off. Oh, and there's Chance. He's the technician in charge of the electronics and tech bits, but he's a bit of a joker and forever getting himself electrocuted. We also have Elaine, who is Greg's wife and our chief art and design specialist, and finally their daughter Emma. She brings a lot to the show by helping the audience learn about the animals we showcase.

We can't forget about Kevin the bearded dragon. Kevin's actually a female and, frankly, she's the star of the show. Kevin is our shop mascot and has become more famous than any of us. She even has a viral video on YouTube.

And you were all friends before the show came about?

Yes, with the exception of Rachel. She was brought onto the team to help with the show, and she does a great job of keeping us knuckleheads in check. Her background is working with reclaimed wood to make artistic furniture and artwork, so she's a fabulously talented addition to the team and fits in really well.

The first time she met us she drove eight hours to Calgary to meet the crew. It was Tyrone she met first, at the dingy warehouse we use as a workshop. Tyrone is a teddy bear, but he looks like a real bad-ass, so I can't imagine what she must have been thinking when she showed up. She just slotted right in and brought some extra magic to the team.

What does Emma do? She's just 12 years old.

Oh, she's a really important part of the crew. She's so curious and excited about reptiles, and she asks some really great questions about the animals on the show. It's a great way to explain things to the audience in an easy-to-understand way that won't patronize anyone, and it keeps audiences of all ages and expertise engaged. Emma's so eager to learn, and it's great to have her on the show with us. She has even helped out with some important design features on a couple of enclosures. I wouldn't be surprised if, one day, she takes over and runs the shop.

How did the show come about?

The TV production company we work with are fans of Tanked, which has been popular on Animal Planet and showcases some fabulous aquariums for aquarist clients. They had the idea that they might be able to create a similar show with reptile enclosures, so they set out to look for someone who could do that sort of thing.

After some internet searching they found Greg's company, Cornel's World, which had been producing high-end reptile enclosures for several years. After making contact, they sent a camera crew to film a pilot episode. That episode was good enough to get the attention of Animal Planet, and the rest is history. Now we're signed up for a 10-episode series, airing weekly around the world.

What's unbelievable is that Greg and the team were hanging out just a few days before the TV company made contact, saying how awesome it would be to make a TV show about our reptile exploits and how we'd make awesome presenters. A few days later, we got the call to do just that. We still can't believe it's happening.

I noticed you were working with MistKing products on one of the shows?

Yes, we've worked a lot with MistKing products. Greg and I are both distributors for MistKing: Greg through his company Cornel's World, and me through my company, Jungle Jewel Exotics. We specialize in dart frogs and tropical vivaria, so MistKing products are perfect for our work. Incidentally, we're also based very near Jared Wolfe at Biopod. We know of a few other interesting developments coming out of Canada soon as well. It seems Canada is a bit of a hub for what's hot in the reptile world at the moment.

The show is obviously entertaining, but is there more to it than that?

Yes, for sure. On one level we're telling people how awesome and fascinating reptiles and amphibians are. We're aiming to change the common perception that reptiles are slimy, disgusting, and dangerous. We want to shine a positive light on reptiles and show them as the marvellous creatures they truly are.

On another level we're showing reptile keepers what can be achieved if you want to create an exceptional setup. We're really passionate about giving pet reptiles the best possible life by creating awesome enclosures they can truly thrive in. If keepers are proud of their animals and the enclosures they keep them in, that can only make them more passionate and enthusiastic about their hobby. We like to think we're helping raise the game to the next level.

People have been keeping reptiles in boring wooden or glass boxes for years, so showing what can be achieved will hopefully encourage keepers to experiment with their enclosures. You'll often hear people talking about the smallest enclosure you can keep an animal in. We like to think of it more in terms of the biggest and most interesting enclosure we can give them. It is their forever home, after all.

Yes, some reptiles can live in small boxy enclosures. We know that. I suppose a person could live in a house the size of your bathroom, if they absolutely had to. But what kind of life would that be? Where's the enrichment? Our mission is to give the animals maximum enrichment and make the enclosures bigger and better wherever that's possible.

How long does it take to shoot a show?

The original schedule gave us one week to shoot each episode, but it quickly became clear it was going to take more like two weeks, given the extravagance of the enclosures we were building. We also shoot several episodes at the same time, which makes continuity a nightmare. It's hard to remember where you're at and what you've said when you've been working on a different project for a few days. Somehow we manage to pull it off.

Do you have people working on the projects when you're off filming elsewhere?

No, it's just us. We do all of the work. It's a gruelling schedule that can take up 16+ hours a day, six days a week. Poor Greg often sleeps in the workshop and sometimes looks dead on his feet when we're filming. One time it was so obvious he was knackered that we decided to explain to the audience how tired he was, just so they understood why he looked so spent. There's even a poster hanging in the shop explaining all the emotions of Greg.

What you see on screen is a pretty authentic account of how we work and what we do. Yes, we're keen to always be as upbeat and passionate as possible to make the show engaging, but there's no camera trickery. Sometimes we redo a scene to make sure we get the best shot, but all of the work and the interactions you see are authentic.

How much does it cost to create the enclosures?

It varies a lot and each build is completely custom, so I can't give you an exact number. The most elaborate one we have done to date would have cost around $75,000 or more. Much of the cost is labour, because so much work goes into these custom enclosures, but materials can often eat up a serious chunk of the budget too. That said, it's possible to build a fabulous enclosure on almost any reasonable budget. With the right skills and knowledge and a bit of creativity, you'd be surprised what can be done.

Which has been your favourite show to date?

I've enjoyed doing them all, but my favourite was the Mayan temple themed enclosures we did for a client's dart frog collection. I guess it's because dart frogs are my thing and I was really in my element. We used MistKing's lighting products to create a spectacular lightning effect. You can find a clip of it online.

When you're in the public eye, there are bound to be some who don't like what you do. How do you deal with that?

You're right, and it's something we all talked about when we first started work on the show. To be honest, we don't get much negative feedback, but there are always those who would do things differently and feel they should tell us we're doing it wrong. There's no way we could please everyone, so we decided to just take it on the chin. We always aim to build the best possible enclosure for the animals, and we're proud of what we do.

At the same time, we recognize there's more than one way to do something and some people might do things differently. We're OK with that, and it's encouraging that we get so little negative feedback. What's important at the end of the day is the animals we're building for, regardless of how you build the enclosure.

How successful has the show been?

It's really difficult to say, as there are so many ways to measure it. We know the show goes out to many countries all over the world. Interestingly, our viewer figures are affected a lot by whatever program airs before us, and that's something the TV company measures and adjusts. We were originally screened after a show about building tree-houses, which had little in common with what we do, so not many people stayed on to watch us. Now we're paired with Tanked, and a lot more viewers keep watching after Tanked has finished. It's very interesting to see how different factors affect viewing figures. We're currently waiting to hear if we're going to get a second series.

Where can UK viewers see the show?

Scaled is available on iTunes, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, and of course you can catch new episodes on Animal Planet.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Is there anything else you would like to say?

Yes. If I could leave your audience with a final quote that has inspired me through the years:

So as you go out into the world, take a moment to marvel at nature's glory. We all live on the same planet together, so let's do what's right for the world and take care of this planet for every generation of being that lives here.

The original print feature

The interview as it ran in Peregrine Reptile News, February 2019.

About Scaled

Scaled is an Animal Planet series that follows Greg West and the Cornel's World crew as they design and build over-the-top custom reptile habitats for clients across North America. From Mayan temples and Samurai pagodas to movie-inspired builds and multi-level rainforest exhibits, each episode shows what's possible when art, engineering, and reptile husbandry collide.

From habitat design to carpentry, theming, electronics, and animal care, the Scaled crew is made up of long-time friends and reptile fanatics who now get to share their work with the world. Read more about how Scaled came to be, or see the rustic bar build from Scaled.