Animals · Puzzle #9 · Thursday, October 8
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
- Big family: 1 pt per doubling over 1 baby at a time
- Wild in Europe: 10 pts if native to Europe
- Top speed: 1 pt per 5 mph
- Known worldwide: 1 pt per 15 Wikipedia languages
- Late bloomer: 1 pt per year to grow up
- Heavyweight: 1 pt per doubling over 1 lb
- Long life: 1 pt per 7 years
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 100,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
The best board
- Gharial in Late bloomer: females can first breed at 10 years old (10.0)
- Blue whale in Long life: the oldest on record lived 110 years (10.0)
- Gray wolf in Most looked-up: its Wikipedia article was read 1.25 million times in 2025 (10.0)
- Cane toad in Big family: has 10,000 young at a time (10.0)
- Leopard in Known worldwide: Wikipedia has an article on it in 191 languages (10.0)
- Elk in Heavyweight: a typical adult weighs 441 lb (8.8)
- Golden eagle in Wild in Europe: is native to Europe (10.0)
- Impala in Top speed: tops out at 50 mph (10.0)
The most this board could score: 78.8 of 80.
The lineup, figure by figure
Gharial
Crocodilian with a needle-thin snout
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Big family
- has 57 young at a time (5.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Wild in Europe
- isn't native to Europe (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 7 mph (1.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 78 languages (5.2) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 10 years old (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 337 lb (8.4) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 59 years (8.4) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 380,463 times in 2025 (3.8) Source: Wikimedia page views
Blue whale
Filter-feeder that eats tons of krill a day
Photo: NOAA Photo Library, Public domain - Big family
- has 1 young at a time (0.0) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- lives in the sea (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 30 mph (6.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 111 languages (7.4) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 5 years old (5.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 299,829 lb (10.0) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 110 years (10.0) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 922,272 times in 2025 (9.2) Source: Wikimedia page views
Gray wolf
Wild ancestor of the dog, famous for howling
Photo: User:Mas3cf, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Big family
- has 6 young at a time (2.6) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- is native to Europe (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 44 mph (8.8) Source: animaldiversity.org
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 224 languages (10.0) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 1.8 years old (1.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 59 lb (5.9) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 21 years (2.9) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.25 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
Cane toad
Warty toad that eats almost anything
Photo: Benjamint444, GFDL 1.2 - Big family
- has 10,000 young at a time (10.0) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- isn't native to Europe (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 1 mph (0.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 53 languages (3.5) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 1 years old (1.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 3.7 oz (0.0) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 25 years (3.5) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 252,078 times in 2025 (2.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
Leopard
Big cat that hauls its prey up into trees
Photo: Sumeet Moghe, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Big family
- has 2 young at a time (1.0) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- isn't native to Europe (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 36 mph (7.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 191 languages (10.0) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 2.6 years old (2.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 118 lb (6.9) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 27 years (3.9) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 844,367 times in 2025 (8.4) Source: Wikimedia page views
Elk
Deer whose males bugle in the autumn rut
Photo: Membeth, CC0 - Big family
- has 1 young at a time (0.0) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- isn't native to Europe (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 30 mph (6.0) Source: pa.gov
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 81 languages (5.4) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 2.3 years old (2.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 441 lb (8.8) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 32 years (4.5) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 500,443 times in 2025 (5.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
Golden eagle
Eagle with a golden nape, used in falconry
Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Big family
- has 2 young at a time (1.0) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- is native to Europe (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 120 mph (10.0) Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 110 languages (7.3) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 4 years old (4.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 11 lb (3.4) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 48 years (6.9) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 559,276 times in 2025 (5.6) Source: Wikimedia page views
Impala
Antelope that leaps to throw off predators
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Big family
- has 1 young at a time (0.0) Source: AnAge
- Wild in Europe
- isn't native to Europe (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Top speed
- tops out at 50 mph (10.0) Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 94 languages (6.3) Source: Wikipedia language editions (Wikidata)
- Late bloomer
- females can first breed at 1.2 years old (1.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Heavyweight
- a typical adult weighs 116 lb (6.9) Source: AnAge
- Long life
- the oldest on record lived 26 years (3.7) Source: AnAge
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 193,225 times in 2025 (1.9) Source: Wikimedia page views
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