WHO WILL WIN?
Boa
Sss-SQUEEZE
Rattlesnake
CHK-CHK-BUZZ
THE SETUP

Boa vs Rattlesnake

Boa
Boa
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake

Pretend a boa and a rattlesnake meet in the desert. Look at the facts. Then you pick.

Would they meet?

No. Wild boas and rattlesnakes would not meet. We still look at the facts.

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

Rattlesnake

Crotalus atrox · A desert alarm clock with a noisy tail.

Rattlesnake
Home
North American deserts · Lives in North America
Food
Meat
Group
Lives alone
Size
Rattlesnake is tiny.

Sit, rattle, strike.

Heat pits are infrared goggles.

Would rather be left alone.

  • Rattlesnake is tiny and slow.
  • Mice, rats, rabbits — small warm snacks of the desert.
  • Rocks, brush, and sunny ledges where a coil can stay toasty.

Family: Other pit vipers, including copperheads.

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

0.15 m

Rattlesnake to scale

Rattlesnake

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

Boa15 kg

About as heavy as a bowling ball that learned yoga.

Rattlesnake2 kg

About as heavy as a water bottle, louder than a snack bag.

Boa

0.25 m · 15 kg

Boa is small. 15 kg.

Rattlesnake

0.15 m · 2 kg

Rattlesnake is tiny. 2 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: Hinged venom fangs
  • Armor: Rattle warning
  • Senses: Heat pits are infrared goggles.

Rattlesnake · labeled field diagram

Boa120 psi bite
Rattlesnake80 psi bite

Boa

Constriction hug

Tool: constriction hug. Bite: 120 psi.

Rattlesnake

Hinged venom fangs

Tool: hinged venom fangs. Bite: 80 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
Rattlesnake
8 km/h
Boa4 km/h
Rattlesnake8 km/h

Boa

4 km/h

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

Rattlesnake

8 km/h

Rattlesnake can go 8 km/h. That is slow.

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

Who takes the speed card?

HOME MAP!

HOME

They meet in the desert. Who is built for this place?

N. AmericaS. AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarctica
BoaRattlesnakeBoth

Meeting biome: the desert. Colored land is where each animal actually lives.

Boa

Not their home · Lives in South America

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

Rattlesnake

This is home · Lives in North America

Rattlesnake lives in places like the desert.

No. Wild boas and rattlesnakes would not meet. We still look at the facts.

Who gets the home point?

MENU!

FOOD

How do they get lunch?

Boa
Meat · Constrictor of the forest floor and low branches.
Rattlesnake
Meat · Sit, rattle, strike.

Boa

Meat · Constrictor of the forest floor and low branches.

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

Rattlesnake

Meat · Sit, rattle, strike.

Mice, rats, rabbits — small warm snacks of the desert.

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
Rattlesnake
Lives alone
Boa6 grit /10
Rattlesnake7 grit /10

Boa

Lives alone

Calm coil. Grit: 6/10.

Rattlesnake

Lives alone

Would rather be left alone. 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
Rattlesnake
4/10
Boa4 brains /10
Rattlesnake4 brains /10

Boa

4/10

Heat pits and a patient stare.

Rattlesnake

4/10

Heat pits are infrared goggles.

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
Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox

Boa

Boa constrictor

Anacondas and other boas.

Rattlesnake

Crotalus atrox

Other pit vipers, including copperheads.

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
Rattlesnake
Buzz Then Zap

Boa

Branch Drop Wrap

They hunt from perches.

Rattlesnake

Buzz Then Zap

First the concert.

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 · Rattlesnake 0 · still open 8

Who wins the meeting?

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

THWACK!

THEY MEET

Rattlesnake runs first. Boa does not race. They wait in the desert.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

SLAM!

THE TOOLS SHOW UP

Boa is heavier. Rattlesnake uses hinged venom fangs. Nobody is keeping a gore score.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

POW!

SPECIAL MOVES

Boa tries the Branch Drop Wrap. Rattlesnake tries the Buzz Then Zap. Keep your card. The last page is next.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

THE SCIENCE PICK

Boa!

A CLEAR PICK · UNDERDOG

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

On the desert, Boa wins. Boa is a lot heavier. Rattlesnake 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 1 · Rattlesnake 6 · ties 1.

Your card: Boa 0 · Rattlesnake 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.

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