Head-to-Head is not just a book that shows you loads of facts and stats about fantastic stuff it’s also a fun game book How to Play 1 Grab a copy of Head-to-Head oh you have OK now get your friends to grab a copy too 2 Each player closes their eyes and flips to a King Cobra King cobras are the world’s longest venomous snakes up to 18 feet 5 5 m long as long as a big car They can deliver enough venom in a single bite to kill 20 people Hooded Menace When threatened a king cobra can raise a third of its body length up off the ground that’s up to about 5 9 feet 1 8 m taller than most adult men and it can still move forward Like all cobras it can expand its neck into a hood plus it has a low hiss like the growl of a dog This terrifying combination makes the king cobra the most fearsome snake of all Most dangerous Length of fangs 0 4 in 10 mm Venom yield 11 8-16 9 oz 350 500 mg Length 13 1-18 ft 4 5 5 m Rarity Vulnerable 8 14 4 4 2 Puff Adder The deadly puff adder kills more people in Africa than any other snake partly because they are quite common They will also stand their ground instead of running away when they are approached Most dangerous Length of fangs 1 3 in 33 mm Venom yield 3 4-11 8 oz 100 350 mg Length 3 3 ft 1 m Rarity Least concern 13 5 16 10 8 game page Now open your eyes and choose one of the deadly snakes Decide who goes first then that person reads out which snake they’ve chosen plus the name of the stat For example this player has chosen the Puff Adder and the Length of Fangs stat with a Head-to-Head ranking of 5 13 5 Most dangerous Length of fangs 1 3 in 33 mm Venom yield 3 4-11 8 oz 100 350 mg 16 Length 3 3 ft 1 m 10 Rarity Least concern 8 4 Whoever has the lowest number is the winner nice one If you have the same number you’ve tied Time to flip choose challenge again If you and your opponent land on the same game page flip again Shy Snake Despite its menacing appearance the king cobra isn’t responsible for many human deaths This is mainly because it doesn’t share the same habitat as people It lives in the rain forests and plains of Southeast Asia China and India where it preys on other snakes as well as mammals lizards and eggs It avoids contact with people wherever possible but it can be aggressive when threatened 18 Nocturnal Hunters Puff adders are found in dry rocky grasslands throughout most of Africa as well as in Saudi Arabia and Yemen They are large snakes usually around 3 3 feet 1 m long and thick around the middle Their markings vary according to where they’re found but most are yellow or orange with gray or dark-brown triangular patterns along their back During the day they’re often found basking in the sun alongside paths where they can be hard to spot They hunt at night for small creatures including rats frogs lizards and birds Large Litters The majority of snakes lay eggs but some like the puff adder give birth to live young In fact the puff adder gives birth to more live young than any other snake The female produces an average litter of around 50 young However there is a record of one female giving birth to 156 baby snakes 19 3 Now challenge your friends to see who has the highest-ranking stat the lower the number the better your chances of winning 1 good 20 goofy Player 1 Most dangerous Player 2 Most dangerous 5 4 Mash it up If you don’t have the same Head-to-Head book as your friends you can STILL play The rules are the same as for the regular game above just flip choose a page pick a stat then read them out loud Now read out the Head-to-Head rankings to see whose choice is best Can a Ferrari beat a tank Can Genghis Khan defeat a king cobra snake
Beaked Sea Snake The venom of a beaked sea snake is one of the most toxic snake venoms in the world It’s responsible for 9 out of 10 human deaths from sea snake bites 18 Most dangerous 16 Length of fangs 0 16 in 4 mm Venom yield 0 26-0 3 oz 7 7 9 mg 15 Length 4 6 ft 1 4 m 10 Rarity Least concern 18 Deep Diving Beaked sea snakes are gray with darker gray bands along their bodies They live in mangrove swamps and coastal waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans where they swim close to the bottom preying on catfish and prawns They’re capable of diving to 328 feet 100 m below the surface and can stay underwater for five hours between breaths Underwater Assassin Even though the snake’s fangs are just 0 16 inches 4 mm long its venom is so powerful that just 0 05 ounce 1 5 mg is enough to kill an adult human In fact there’s enough venom in one bite to kill 52 people The beaked sea snake is also highly aggressive It will strike if someone gets too close such as when a fisherman wades into murky water 4
Black Mamba Black mambas are among the most feared snakes in Africa They’re big fast and extremely venomous Black Jaws Oddly black mambas aren’t black in color they’re usually brown or gray The insides of their mouths are black though and they display these when threatened They are the longest venomous snake in Africa and the second longest in the world Speedy Snakes Black mambas are the world’s fastest snake They can reach speeds of up to 12 5 miles 20 km per hour which for a creature with no legs is very fast indeed But don’t worry they use this speed to get away from humans rather than chase them Most dangerous Length of fangs 0 16 in 4 mm Venom yield 4 oz 120 mg Length 14 ft 4 3 m Rarity Least concern 3 1 16 11 10 Kiss of Death Black mambas are aggressive when threatened and are especially feared because they deliver a large amount of venom with each bite This is on average 4 ounces 120 mg per bite but can sometimes be as high as 13 5 ounces 400 mg Without the antivenom almost 100 percent of victims die 5
