WHO WILL WIN?
Koala
BELLOW-SNOOZE
Hyena
WHOOP-HAHA
THE SETUP

Koala vs Hyena

Koala
Koala
Hyena
Hyena

Pretend a koala and a hyena meet in forest. 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

Hyena

Crocuta crocuta · The bone-crunching comedian of the savanna.

Hyena
Home
African savanna · Lives in Africa
Food
Meat
Group
Hunts with a pack
Size
Hyena is medium.

Clan chasers and bone-crushers.

Night hunters with a nose for leftovers and a bite that opens bones.

Bold in a clan.

  • Hyena is medium and fast.
  • They hunt more than they scavenge.
  • Open grassland where clans can hear each other across the night.

Family: Not dogs.

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

0.85 m

Hyena to scale

Hyena

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.

Hyena70 kg

About as heavy as a big dog that skipped every 'drop it' lesson.

Koala

0.60 m · 10 kg

Koala is small. 10 kg.

Hyena

0.85 m · 70 kg

Hyena is medium. 70 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: Bone-blender jaws
  • Armor: Scrappy stamina
  • Senses: Night hunters with a nose for leftovers and a bite that opens bones.

Hyena · labeled field diagram

Koala100 psi bite
Hyena1100 psi bite

Koala

Tree-hook claws

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

Hyena

Bone-blender jaws

Tool: bone-blender jaws. Bite: 1,100 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
Hyena
60 km/h
Koala10 km/h
Hyena60 km/h

Koala

10 km/h

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

Hyena

60 km/h

Hyena can go 60 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 forest. Who is built for this place?

N. AmericaS. AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarctica
KoalaHyenaBoth

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

Koala

This is home · Lives in Australia

Koala lives in places like forest.

Hyena

Can handle it · Lives in Africa

Hyena's home is the african savanna, not forest.

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.
Hyena
Meat · Clan chasers and bone-crushers.

Koala

Plants · Eucalyptus specialist.

Almost only eucalyptus.

Hyena

Meat · Clan chasers and bone-crushers.

They hunt more than they scavenge.

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
Hyena
Hunts with a pack
Koala3 grit /10
Hyena9 grit /10

Koala

Lives alone

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

Hyena

Hunts with a pack

Bold in a clan. Grit: 9/10.

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
Hyena
7/10
Koala4 brains /10
Hyena7 brains /10

Koala

4/10

A nose for the right leaves.

Hyena

7/10

Night hunters with a nose for leftovers and a bite that opens bones.

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
Hyena
Crocuta crocuta

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

Wombats.

Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

Not dogs.

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
Hyena
Whoop-and-Swarm

Koala

Eucalyptus Power Nap

Koalas sleep up to 18 hours.

Hyena

Whoop-and-Swarm

The laugh is a call, not a joke.

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 · Hyena 0 · still open 8

Who wins the meeting?

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

FWOOSH!

THEY MEET

Hyena runs first. Koala does not race. They wait in forest.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

KICK!

THE TOOLS SHOW UP

Hyena is heavier. Koala uses tree-hook claws. Nobody is keeping a gore score.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

STOOMP!

SPECIAL MOVES

Koala tries the Eucalyptus Power Nap. Hyena tries the Whoop-and-Swarm. Keep your card. The last page is next.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

THE SCIENCE PICK

Hyena!

A STOMP

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

On forest, Hyena wins. Hyena is a lot heavier. 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 · Hyena 7.

Your card: Koala 0 · Hyena 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

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