Text, "Battle of the Beasts"

 Illustration by Lisa Sheehan

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Battle of the Beasts

Imagine the world’s most fierce animal hunters have paired off in three battles. Who would be the winners in these showdowns?  You decide!

As You Read: List one strength of each of the six animals described in the article. 

Battle #1 - Lion vs. Komodo Dragon

Meet the king of the jungle—the African lion. Its opponent shouldn’t sleep easy if it’s around. Why? The big cat’s sharp eyes can see in the dark, so it can hunt at night. And its sharp teeth and claws make it the last thing any animal would want to wake up to in the night!

The lion’s opponent in this battle is the Komodo dragon. When it comes to body length, they’re about the same size. Each grows up to 10 feet long. At around 300 pounds, the dragon is the largest lizard on Earth. That’s about 120 pounds lighter than a large lion. But the dragon has a secret weapon! Its bite carries venom, or poison, that can kill prey. 

Meet the king of the jungle. It’s the African lion. Its opponent shouldn’t sleep easy if it’s around. Why? The big cat’s sharp eyes can see in the dark, so it can hunt at night. The lion also has sharp teeth and claws. That makes it the last thing any animal would want to wake up to in the night!

The lion’s opponent in this battle is the Komodo dragon. Both animals are about the same length. Each grows up to 10 feet long. The dragon is the largest lizard on Earth. It weighs around 300 pounds. That’s about 120 pounds lighter than a large lion. But the dragon has a secret weapon! Its bite carries venom, or poison. This poison can kill its prey.

Shutterstock.com (lion); Barry Kusuma/Getty Images (komodo dragon)

The lion’s loud roar scares enemies up to 5 miles away. The Komodo dragon is a good swimmer and climber. 

Battle #2 - Killer Whale vs. Giant Pacific Octopus

Ready to meet the only invertebrate in these battles? The giant Pacific octopus grows up to 16 feet long. Its eight tentacles, or arms, help it hunt. The octopus has a sharp beak, like a bird’s, that tears into flesh. Octopuses are also smart! Some have learned to open jars. 

The octopus will need brains to outwit the huge killer whale, also known as an orca. The whales work together in pods, or groups, to hunt. One trick they use is to make waves with their tails. That can wash penguins off ice and into the water.

An orca can grow up to 32 feet long and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. It can eat about 500 pounds of seafood a day. That would be the same weight as five giant Pacific octopuses!

Ready to meet the only invertebrate in these battles? The giant Pacific octopus grows up to 16 feet long. It has eight arms called tentacles. These tentacles help it hunt. The octopus has a sharp beak like a bird’s. Its beak tears into flesh. Octopuses are also smart! Some have learned to open jars. 

The octopus will need brains to outwit the huge killer whale. This whale is also known as an orca. Orcas work together in pods, or groups, to hunt. One trick they use is to make waves with their tails. That can wash penguins off ice and into the water.

An orca can grow up to 32 feet long. It can weigh up to 12,000 pounds. An orca can eat about 500 pounds of seafood a day. That is the same weight as five giant Pacific octopuses!

Shutterstock.com

Killer whales don’t chew their food. They can swallow seals whole! The giant Pacific octopus can change shape and color to hide from danger. 

Pause And Think

Before you scroll down, name who you think would win these first two battles. 

Before you scroll down, name who you think would win these first two battles. 

Battle #3 - Silverback Gorilla vs. Polar Bear

Meet the silverback gorilla. This endangered animal has big muscles—and big brains! It uses tools to hunt and fight. Some have been taught to use sign language. Weighing up to 485 pounds, it can eat up to 65 pounds of food a day. 

Would that huge meal include its opponent in our final battle? That’s tough to say. The polar bear is an apex predator. It’s at the top of the food chain in one of the coldest environments on the planet, the Arctic. The bear’s white fur camouflages it in the snow. 

This carnivore, or meat eater, can weigh up to 1,600 pounds. So it won’t stay hidden long. You might think the gorilla could outrun a creature that huge. Probably not! The polar bear can sprint up to 30 miles per hour. And the slower gorilla runs up to 25 miles per hour. 

Meet the silverback gorilla. This endangered animal has big muscles. It also has a big brain! It uses tools to hunt and fight. Some gorillas have been taught to use sign language. They can weigh up to 485 pounds. And they can eat up to 65 pounds of food a day. 

Would that huge meal include the gorilla’s opponent in our final battle? That’s tough to say. The polar bear is an apex predator. That means it’s at the top of the food chain where it lives. It lives in the Arctic. That’s one of the coldest environments on the planet. The bear’s white fur camouflages it in the snow. 

The polar bear is a carnivore, or meat eater. It can weigh up to 1,600 pounds. So it won’t stay hidden long. You might think the gorilla could outrun a creature that huge. Probably not! The polar bear can sprint up to 30 miles per hour. The slower gorilla runs up to 25 miles per hour.

Eric Baccega/NPL/Minden Pictures (gorilla); Shutterstock.com (polar bear)

A silverback gorilla is willing to die to protect its troop, or group. Polar bears have webbed paws that make them excellent swimmers. 

Your Turn

Who do you think would win this third battle? Read the sidebar for an idea!

Before you scroll down, name who you think would win these first two battles. 

What Does Jerry Think?

Courtesy of Jerry Pallotta 

Which animals would win these epic battles? We caught up with Jerry Pallotta to see what he thought. Jerry is the author of the “Who Would Win?” book series. He writes about animal showdowns. 

Here are the winners he picked. Do you agree? 

Battle #1 
“I choose the lion. It’s faster than the Komodo dragon and smart enough to stay away from the dragon’s mouth.”

Battle #2 
“I pick the killer whale. The octopus is smart, but the whale is smarter. The soft octopus is no match for the whale’s jaws.”

Battle #3 
“The gorilla would win. The polar bear has no natural enemies. It wouldn’t know how to fight the stronger gorilla.”

Which animals would win these epic battles? We caught up with Jerry Pallotta to see what he thought. Jerry is the author of the “Who Would Win?” book series. He writes about animal showdowns. 

Here are the winners he picked. Do you agree? 

Battle #1 
“I choose the lion. It’s faster than the Komodo dragon and smart enough to stay away from the dragon’s mouth.”

Battle #2 
“I pick the killer whale. The octopus is smart, but the whale is smarter. The soft octopus is no match for the whale’s jaws.”

Battle #3 
“The gorilla would win. The polar bear has no natural enemies. It wouldn’t know how to fight the stronger gorilla.”

Where These Amazing Animals Live

Most of the six animals in our pretend battles live in different parts of the world. They would never meet in real life. 

Most of the six animals in our pretend battles live in different parts of the world. They would never meet in real life. 

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

  1. Why do you think the African lion is known as the “king of the jungle”? Use text evidence to support your answer.
  2. What is one thing the silverback gorilla and the giant Pacific octopus have in common?
  3. Pick one showdown. Which animal does Jerry Pallotta say would win? Do you agree? Explain, using details from the article.
  1. Why do you think the African lion is known as the “king of the jungle”? Use text evidence to support your answer.
  2. What is one thing the silverback gorilla and the giant Pacific octopus have in common?
  3. Pick one showdown. Which animal does Jerry Pallotta say would win? Do you agree? Explain, using details from the article.
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