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

Rattlesnake vs Boa

Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Boa
Boa

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

Would they meet?

No. Wild rattlesnakes and boas 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

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.

Corner B

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.

TO SCALE!

SIZE & WEIGHT

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

1.70 m

Grown-up

0.15 m

Rattlesnake to scale

Rattlesnake

0.25 m

Boa to scale

Boa

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

Rattlesnake2 kg

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

Boa15 kg

About as heavy as a bowling ball that learned yoga.

Rattlesnake

0.15 m · 2 kg

Rattlesnake is tiny. 2 kg.

Boa

0.25 m · 15 kg

Boa is small. 15 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: Hinged venom fangs
  • Armor: Rattle warning
  • Senses: Heat pits are infrared goggles.

Rattlesnake · labeled field diagram

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

Boa · labeled field diagram

Rattlesnake80 psi bite
Boa120 psi bite

Rattlesnake

Hinged venom fangs

Tool: hinged venom fangs. Bite: 80 psi.

Boa

Constriction hug

Tool: constriction hug. Bite: 120 psi.

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

Whose tools would you trust?

ZOOM!

SPEED

Who gets there first?

Rattlesnake
8 km/h
Boa
4 km/h
Rattlesnake8 km/h
Boa4 km/h

Rattlesnake

8 km/h

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

Boa

4 km/h

Boa can go 4 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 forest. Who is built for this place?

N. AmericaS. AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarctica
RattlesnakeBoaBoth

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

Rattlesnake

Not their home · Lives in North America

Rattlesnake's home is the north american deserts, not forest.

Boa

This is home · Lives in South America

Boa lives in places like forest.

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

Who gets the home point?

MENU!

FOOD

How do they get lunch?

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

Rattlesnake

Meat · Sit, rattle, strike.

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

Boa

Meat · Constrictor of the forest floor and low branches.

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

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.

Rattlesnake
Lives alone
Boa
Lives alone
Rattlesnake7 grit /10
Boa6 grit /10

Rattlesnake

Lives alone

Would rather be left alone. Grit: 7/10.

Boa

Lives alone

Calm coil. Grit: 6/10.

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?

Rattlesnake
4/10
Boa
4/10
Rattlesnake4 brains /10
Boa4 brains /10

Rattlesnake

4/10

Heat pits are infrared goggles.

Boa

4/10

Heat pits and a patient stare.

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

Who would you score for noticing?

COUSINS!

FAMILY

Who are they related to?

Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Boa
Boa constrictor

Rattlesnake

Crotalus atrox

Other pit vipers, including copperheads.

Boa

Boa constrictor

Anacondas and other boas.

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?

Rattlesnake
Buzz Then Zap
Boa
Branch Drop Wrap

Rattlesnake

Buzz Then Zap

First the concert.

Boa

Branch Drop Wrap

They hunt from perches.

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: Rattlesnake 0 · Boa 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 forest.

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

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

Pretend · fact-based · not a gore-fest

THE SCIENCE PICK

Boa!

A STOMP · UNDERDOG

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

On forest, Boa wins. Boa likes forest more. 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: Rattlesnake 5 · Boa 2 · ties 1.

Your card: Rattlesnake 0 · Boa 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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