Animals · Puzzle #19 · Sunday, October 18
Animals: the board
Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Animals.
The categories
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 100,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
- Takes flight: 10 pts if it can fly
- Late bloomer: 1 pt per year to grow up
- Big family: 1 pt per doubling over 1 baby at a time
- Long life: 1 pt per 7 years
- Heavyweight: 1 pt per doubling over 1 lb
- Known worldwide: 1 pt per 15 Wikipedia languages
- Wild in North America: 10 pts if native to North America
The best board
The best board is hidden while some of these items are still in play: they're on a board again within 14 days.
The lineup, figure by figure
Mountain goat
Shaggy climber of sheer cliffs
Photo: Adam Schneider, CC BY-SA 4.0 Mountain goat is native to North or Central America, so its best fit on this board was Wild in North America, worth 10.0. Its weakest was Takes flight, worth 0.0, since it can't fly.
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 230,899 times in 2025 (2.3) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Takes flight
- can't fly (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 2.5 years old (2.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Big family
- has 1.2 young at a time (0.3) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 21 years (3.0) Source: AnAge
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 198 lb (7.6) Source: AnAge
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 63 languages (4.2) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Wild in North America
- is native to North or Central America (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
Yak
Long-haired ox that thrives at altitude
Photo: Alexandr frolov, CC BY-SA 4.0 On this board Yak scored best in Heavyweight (10.0): a typical adult weighs 1,470 lb. Takes flight was its weakest fit (0.0): it can't fly.
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 337,521 times in 2025 (3.4) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Takes flight
- can't fly (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 2 years old (2.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big family
- has 1 young at a time (0.0) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 26 years (3.8) Source: AnAge
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 1,470 lb (10.0) Source: AnAge
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 67 languages (4.5) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Wild in North America
- is domesticated, with no wild range (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
Lar gibbon
Ape that swings arm over arm through trees
Photo: User:MatthiasKabel, CC BY 2.5 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Laughing kookaburra
Kingfisher whose call sounds like laughter
Photo: Photo by: Paulweberphoto - paulweberphoto.com, CC BY 4.0 Laughing kookaburra flies under its own power, so its best fit on this board was Takes flight, worth 10.0. Its weakest was Heavyweight, worth 0.0: a typical adult weighs 11 oz.
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 263,976 times in 2025 (2.6) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Takes flight
- flies under its own power (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 1 years old (1.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big family
- has 3 young at a time (1.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 27 years (3.8) Source: AnAge
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 11 oz (0.0) Source: AnAge
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 48 languages (3.2) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Wild in North America
- isn't native to North America (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
Red sea urchin
Spiny ball of the kelp forests
Photo: Taollan82, Kirt L. Onthank, CC BY 3.0 On this board Red sea urchin scored best in Big family (10.0): it has 2 million young at a time. Takes flight was its weakest fit (0.0): it can't fly.
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 408,060 times in 2025 (4.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Takes flight
- can't fly (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 1.5 years old (1.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Big family
- has 2 million young at a time (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 200 years (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 1.3 lb (0.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 6 languages (0.4) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Wild in North America
- lives in the sea (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
Bull shark
Shark that swims far up rivers
Photo: João D'Andretta, CC BY 4.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Jaguar
Big cat that kills with a bite to the skull
Photo: USFWS, Public domain Jaguar's best fit on this board was Most looked-up, worth 10.0: its Wikipedia article was read 1.06 million times in 2025. Its weakest was Takes flight, worth 0.0, since it can't fly.
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.06 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Takes flight
- can't fly (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 2 years old (2.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big family
- has 2 young at a time (1.0) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 28 years (4.0) Source: AnAge
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 179 lb (7.5) Source: AnAge
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 131 languages (8.7) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Wild in North America
- is native to North or Central America (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
House cat
Purring pet that rules the internet
Photo: Karin Langner-Bahmann, upload von Martin Bahmann, CC BY-SA 3.0 House cat's best fit on this board was Most looked-up, worth 10.0: its Wikipedia article was read 3.17 million times in 2025. Its weakest was Takes flight, worth 0.0, since it can't fly.
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 3.17 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Takes flight
- can't fly (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 0.8 years old (0.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Big family
- has 4 young at a time (2.0) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 30 years (4.3) Source: AnAge
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 8.6 lb (3.1) Source: AnAge
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 321 languages (10.0) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Wild in North America
- is domesticated, with no wild range (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
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