WHO WILL WIN?
Otter
CHIRP-CHUCKLE
Baboon
WAHOO-BARK
THE SETUP

Otter vs Baboon

Otter
Otter
Baboon
Baboon

Pretend a otter and a baboon 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

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.

Corner B

Baboon

Papio anubis · A troop-tough primate with serious canine teeth.

Baboon
Home
African savanna · Lives in Africa
Food
Plants and meat
Group
Hunts with a pack
Size
Baboon is small.

Omnivore troop.

Sharp eyes on the ground.

Bold, loud, and political.

  • Baboon is small and fast.
  • Fruit, grass, insects, and the occasional small animal.
  • Open country with cliffs for sleeping.

Family: Mandrills and geladas — the big-monkey cousin group.

TO SCALE!

SIZE & WEIGHT

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

1.70 m

Grown-up

0.40 m

Otter to scale

Otter

0.70 m

Baboon to scale

Baboon

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

Otter10 kg

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

Baboon30 kg

About as heavy as a first-grader who lifts.

Otter

0.40 m · 10 kg

Otter is small. 10 kg.

Baboon

0.70 m · 30 kg

Baboon is small. 30 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: Needle teeth plus twist
  • Armor: Oilskin fur
  • Senses: Whiskers in murky water.

Otter · labeled field diagram

  • Weapon: Dagger canines
  • Armor: Troop backup
  • Senses: Sharp eyes on the ground.

Baboon · labeled field diagram

Otter150 psi bite
Baboon800 psi bite

Otter

Needle teeth plus twist

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

Baboon

Dagger canines

Tool: dagger canines. Bite: 800 psi.

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

Whose tools would you trust?

ZOOM!

SPEED

Who gets there first?

Otter
30 km/h
Baboon
45 km/h
Otter30 km/h
Baboon45 km/h

Otter

30 km/h

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

Baboon

45 km/h

Baboon can go 45 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 river country. Who is built for this place?

N. AmericaS. AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarctica
OtterBaboonBoth

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

Otter

This is home · Lives in North America

Otter lives in places like river country.

Baboon

Can handle it · Lives in Africa

Baboon's home is the african savanna, not river country.

Almost never. Their homes sit next to each other.

Who gets the home point?

MENU!

FOOD

How do they get lunch?

Otter
Meat · Fish wrestler.
Baboon
Plants and meat · Omnivore troop.

Otter

Meat · Fish wrestler.

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

Baboon

Plants and meat · Omnivore troop.

Fruit, grass, insects, and the occasional small animal.

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.

Otter
Lives with family
Baboon
Hunts with a pack
Otter7 grit /10
Baboon8 grit /10

Otter

Lives with family

Playful hustle. Grit: 7/10.

Baboon

Hunts with a pack

Bold, loud, and political. Grit: 8/10.

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?

Otter
7/10
Baboon
8/10
Otter7 brains /10
Baboon8 brains /10

Otter

7/10

Whiskers in murky water.

Baboon

8/10

Sharp eyes on the ground.

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

Who would you score for noticing?

COUSINS!

FAMILY

Who are they related to?

Otter
Lontra canadensis
Baboon
Papio anubis

Otter

Lontra canadensis

Weasels, badgers, and wolverines.

Baboon

Papio anubis

Mandrills and geladas — the big-monkey cousin group.

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?

Otter
Slide Tackle
Baboon
Alarm-Bark Charge

Otter

Slide Tackle

Mud slides are transport.

Baboon

Alarm-Bark Charge

They spot leopards from a long way off, shout the news, and sometimes mob the threat.

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: Otter 0 · Baboon 0 · still open 8

Who wins the meeting?

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

WHAM!

THEY MEET

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

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

WHOOSH!

THE TOOLS SHOW UP

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

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

ZING!

SPECIAL MOVES

Otter tries the Slide Tackle. Baboon tries the Alarm-Bark Charge. Keep your card. The last page is next.

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

THE SCIENCE PICK

Baboon!

A CLEAR PICK

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

On river country, Baboon wins. Baboon is a lot heavier. 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: Otter 1 · Baboon 6 · ties 1.

Your card: Otter 0 · Baboon 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.

Victory lap · Baboon

Yawn so big it counts as a roar.

Wikimedia Commons · CC. Source

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