Which animal has the largest ear? You think it is Elephant, And you’re right – sort of. As the largest living land animal, the African elephant has the largest Ears According to zoologist and mammologist Mary Ellen Holden at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, any living creature. But the largest eared animal for its body size is the long-eared gerboa (Eucalyptus Naso), A nocturnal, insect-eating rat that lives in the deserts of China and Mongolia.
The long-eared gerboa (rhyme with Samoa) measures about 4 inches (10 cm) from head to lump (not counting its long tail). Its ears, 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5 cm) long, are 40% to 50% of its body length.
“The entire animal kingdom has the longest ears in terms of its body size,” Holden told Live Science. For comparison, according to Holden, the average length of an African elephant’s ear is about 4 feet (1.2 m), but it is about 17% of their body length, averaging 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.5 m).
Related: Why are the ears shaped in a surprising way?
In 2007, made news with the long-eared gerboa, rarely seen on camera mera. Video The Zoological Society London went to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia during a trip to London. This critic is “like Mickey Mouse in the desert,” said Jonathan Bailey, campaign leader and conservation biologist, according to the video description.
Why such big ears? Large ears help long-eared gerboas and other mammals living in warm, dry climates to get rid of excess heat. “African Elephants, Feneck Fox, Long-eared gerboas – they are capable of thermoregulation by rapidly reducing heat through highly vascularized ears, “Holden said. The ears of these animals are large and thin, and contain many small blood vessels.” The ears release blood heat into the air, which helps keep the animal cool.
When the animal is warm, the blood vessels in its ears expand to release more heat, Holden said. The blood vessels of animals help to keep them warm at night or whenever it is cold.
“I think most people agree [that large ears] “Usually associated with warmer climates,” Holden said. “And if you look at African and Asian elephants, African elephant ears are much larger than Asian elephant ears, because African elephants live in warmer climates.” The ears of Asian elephants, about 1.6 feet (0.5 m) long, are only about 8% of their body length.
As long as there are heat dissipation strategies, using them to cool the ears is a good fit for Ranjivan. It serves as an alternative to sweating, allowing desert creatures to conserve water in an environment where resources are scarce.
Holden said the larger ear can also help his ear gerboa detect low-frequency sounds coming from his insect prey and its predators.
Published on Original Living Science.
