WHO WILL WIN?
Boa
Sss-SQUEEZE
Otter
CHIRP-CHUCKLE
THE SETUP

Boa vs Otter

Boa
Boa
Otter
Otter

Pretend a boa and a otter meet in river country. Look at the facts. Then you pick.

Would they meet?

Almost never. Their homes sit next to each other.

This is pretend and based on facts. Real animals usually hide or leave.

Read the facts. Make your card. The page waits to pick.

Corner A

Boa

Boa constrictor · A rainforest squeeze with a calm face.

Boa
Home
Central and South American forests · Lives in South America
Food
Meat
Group
Lives alone
Size
Boa is small.

Constrictor of the forest floor and low branches.

Heat pits and a patient stare.

Calm coil.

  • Boa is small and slow.
  • Rodents, birds, lizards — medium meals, no need to be famous about it.
  • Trees and forest floor.

Family: Anacondas and other boas.

Corner B

Otter

Lontra canadensis · A slippery wrestler who treats rivers like gyms.

Otter
Home
Rivers and lakes · Lives in North America
Food
Meat
Group
Lives with family
Size
Otter is small.

Fish wrestler.

Whiskers in murky water.

Playful hustle.

  • Otter is small and not very fast.
  • Fish, crayfish, frogs — they eat lunch in the pool.
  • Riverbanks with dens called holts.

Family: Weasels, badgers, and wolverines.

TO SCALE!

SIZE & WEIGHT

Stand them next to a grown-up. Who is bigger and heavier?

1.70 m

Grown-up

0.25 m

Boa to scale

Boa

0.40 m

Otter to scale

Otter

Height to scale. A grown-up is 1.7 m.

Boa15 kg

About as heavy as a bowling ball that learned yoga.

Otter10 kg

About as heavy as a bag of flour that learned backstroke.

Boa

0.25 m · 15 kg

Boa is small. 15 kg.

Otter

0.40 m · 10 kg

Otter is small. 10 kg.

Kilograms are honest. A small animal can still have a strong tool.

Who would you pick for size?

TOOLKIT!

TOOLS

Teeth, claws, horns, venom, kick — what tools do they have?

  • Weapon: Constriction hug
  • Armor: Saddle-pattern camo
  • Senses: Heat pits and a patient stare.

Boa · labeled field diagram

  • Weapon: Needle teeth plus twist
  • Armor: Oilskin fur
  • Senses: Whiskers in murky water.

Otter · labeled field diagram

Boa120 psi bite
Otter150 psi bite

Boa

Constriction hug

Tool: constriction hug. Bite: 120 psi.

Otter

Needle teeth plus twist

Tool: needle teeth plus twist. Bite: 150 psi.

A bite number is only one tool. Coils and kicks count too.

Whose tools would you trust?

ZOOM!

SPEED

Who gets there first?

Boa
4 km/h
Otter
30 km/h
Boa4 km/h
Otter30 km/h

Boa

4 km/h

Boa can go 4 km/h. That is slow.

Otter

30 km/h

Otter can go 30 km/h. That is not very fast.

A fast animal can miss. A slow one only has to connect.

Who takes the speed card?

HOME MAP!

HOME

They meet in river country. Who is built for this place?

N. AmericaS. AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarctica
BoaOtterBoth

Meeting biome: river country. Colored land is where each animal actually lives.

Boa

Can handle it · Lives in South America

Boa's home is the central and south american forests, not river country.

Otter

This is home · Lives in North America

Otter lives in places like river country.

Almost never. Their homes sit next to each other.

Who gets the home point?

MENU!

FOOD

How do they get lunch?

Boa
Meat · Constrictor of the forest floor and low branches.
Otter
Meat · Fish wrestler.

Boa

Meat · Constrictor of the forest floor and low branches.

Rodents, birds, lizards — medium meals, no need to be famous about it.

Otter

Meat · Fish wrestler.

Fish, crayfish, frogs — they eat lunch in the pool.

A plant eater is not 'safe.' Hippos and elephants still end arguments.

Whose hunting or defending helps more?

MOOD!

MOOD

Alone vs team. This rumble is one vs one.

Boa
Lives alone
Otter
Lives with family
Boa6 grit /10
Otter7 grit /10

Boa

Lives alone

Calm coil. Grit: 6/10.

Otter

Lives with family

Playful hustle. Grit: 7/10.

Pack and pride animals lose their backup in a 1-v-1.

Who is better for a solo meeting?

PING!

BRAINS

Who notices first and thinks next?

Boa
4/10
Otter
7/10
Boa4 brains /10
Otter7 brains /10

Boa

4/10

Heat pits and a patient stare.

Otter

7/10

Whiskers in murky water.

In the wild, brains often mean leave before it starts.

Who would you score for noticing?

COUSINS!

FAMILY

Who are they related to?

Boa
Boa constrictor
Otter
Lontra canadensis

Boa

Boa constrictor

Anacondas and other boas.

Otter

Lontra canadensis

Weasels, badgers, and wolverines.

Cousins are clues, not a score.

Not a fight point. Who has the wilder family story?

WILD CARD!

SPECIAL

What special move did they evolve?

Boa
Branch Drop Wrap
Otter
Slide Tackle

Boa

Branch Drop Wrap

They hunt from perches.

Otter

Slide Tackle

Mud slides are transport.

A secret move here is a real wild tool, not a video-game combo.

Whose special move would change the meeting?

YOUR SCORECARD

Your scorecard

Tap who has each fact. Then tap who you think wins.

  • SIZE & WEIGHT

  • TOOLS

  • SPEED

  • HOME

  • FOOD

  • MOOD

  • BRAINS

  • SPECIAL

Your card: Boa 0 · Otter 0 · still open 8

Who wins the meeting?

Keep going for the pretend meeting, then the science pick.

THWACK!

THEY MEET

Otter runs first. Boa does not race. They wait in river country.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

SLAM!

THE TOOLS SHOW UP

Boa is heavier. Otter uses needle teeth plus twist. Nobody is keeping a gore score.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

POW!

SPECIAL MOVES

Boa tries the Branch Drop Wrap. Otter tries the Slide Tackle. Keep your card. The last page is next.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

THE SCIENCE PICK

Boa!

A SQUEAKER

You skipped a final pick. The facts still stamp a champ.

On river country, Boa wins. Boa's constriction hug helps more. Otter would still win some meetings at home.

In the wild, most animals skip a fight. We still judge who the bodies and the place would favor.

Science card: Boa 4 · Otter 4.

Your card: Boa 0 · Otter 0.

The last page follows the whole animal — body plus home — not one bar chart.

Send this fight

A friend can read the same facts.

Also starring · Otter

Playtime. The official otter sport.

Wikimedia Commons · CC. Source

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