WHO WILL WIN?
Koala
BELLOW-SNOOZE
Armadillo
GRUNT-SCRITCH
THE SETUP

Koala vs Armadillo

Koala
Koala
Armadillo
Armadillo

Pretend a koala and a armadillo meet in the desert. 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

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus · A sleepy specialist with surprising claws.

Koala
Home
Australian eucalyptus forest · Lives in Australia
Food
Plants
Group
Lives alone
Size
Koala is small.

Eucalyptus specialist.

A nose for the right leaves.

Low-energy by design.

  • Koala is small and slow.
  • Almost only eucalyptus.
  • They pick a tree, claim it, and treat the canopy like a studio apartment.

Family: Wombats.

Corner B

Armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus · A walking helmet that sometimes becomes a soccer ball.

Armadillo
Home
Americas grassland and scrub · Lives in North America / South America
Food
Plants and meat
Group
Lives alone
Size
Armadillo is small.

Bug vacuum.

Nose-first.

Startle, ball up or bolt.

  • Armadillo is small and fast.
  • Insects, grubs, and the occasional small snack.
  • Warm country with soil soft enough to mine.

Family: Sloths and anteaters.

TO SCALE!

SIZE & WEIGHT

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

1.70 m

Grown-up

0.60 m

Koala to scale

Koala

0.30 m

Armadillo to scale

Armadillo

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

Koala10 kg

About as heavy as a bowling ball that insists it is a teddy.

Armadillo6 kg

About as heavy as a small melon wearing a knight costume.

Koala

0.60 m · 10 kg

Koala is small. 10 kg.

Armadillo

0.30 m · 6 kg

Armadillo is small. 6 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: Tree-hook claws
  • Armor: Fluffy indifference
  • Senses: A nose for the right leaves.

Koala · labeled field diagram

  • Weapon: Digging claws
  • Armor: Bony banded shell
  • Senses: Nose-first.

Armadillo · labeled field diagram

Koala100 psi bite
Armadillo80 psi bite

Koala

Tree-hook claws

Tool: tree-hook claws. Bite: 100 psi.

Armadillo

Digging claws

Tool: digging claws. 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?

Koala
10 km/h
Armadillo
48 km/h
Koala10 km/h
Armadillo48 km/h

Koala

10 km/h

Koala can go 10 km/h. That is slow.

Armadillo

48 km/h

Armadillo can go 48 km/h. That is fast.

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
KoalaArmadilloBoth

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

Koala

Not their home · Lives in Australia

Koala's home is the australian eucalyptus forest, not the desert.

Armadillo

This is home · Lives in North America / South America

Armadillo lives in places like the desert.

Almost never. Their homes sit next to each other.

Who gets the home point?

MENU!

FOOD

How do they get lunch?

Koala
Plants · Eucalyptus specialist.
Armadillo
Plants and meat · Bug vacuum.

Koala

Plants · Eucalyptus specialist.

Almost only eucalyptus.

Armadillo

Plants and meat · Bug vacuum.

Insects, grubs, and the occasional small snack.

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.

Koala
Lives alone
Armadillo
Lives alone
Koala3 grit /10
Armadillo5 grit /10

Koala

Lives alone

Low-energy by design. Grit: 3/10.

Armadillo

Lives alone

Startle, ball up or bolt. Grit: 5/10.

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?

Koala
4/10
Armadillo
4/10
Koala4 brains /10
Armadillo4 brains /10

Koala

4/10

A nose for the right leaves.

Armadillo

4/10

Nose-first.

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

Who would you score for noticing?

COUSINS!

FAMILY

Who are they related to?

Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

Wombats.

Armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

Sloths and anteaters.

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?

Koala
Eucalyptus Power Nap
Armadillo
Shell-Up Sprint

Koala

Eucalyptus Power Nap

Koalas sleep up to 18 hours.

Armadillo

Shell-Up Sprint

First they jump straight up — a surprise pop.

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: Koala 0 · Armadillo 0 · still open 8

Who wins the meeting?

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

FWOOSH!

THEY MEET

Armadillo runs first. Koala does not race. They wait in the desert.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

KICK!

THE TOOLS SHOW UP

Koala is heavier. Armadillo uses digging claws. Nobody is keeping a gore score.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

STOOMP!

SPECIAL MOVES

Koala tries the Eucalyptus Power Nap. Armadillo tries the Shell-Up Sprint. Keep your card. The last page is next.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

THE SCIENCE PICK

Armadillo!

A CLEAR PICK

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

On the desert, Armadillo wins. Armadillo likes the desert more. Koala 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: Koala 1 · Armadillo 4 · ties 3.

Your card: Koala 0 · Armadillo 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 · Koala

Joey in the pouch. The rumble was exhausting.

Brian Dell · Wikimedia Commons · CC. Source

1/17 · scroll