Have you ever wondered what animal has biggest ears? Of course, it's African elephant. We all know this. Scientists know this. However, scientists have looked at what animal has biggest ears for its body size. The elephant has big ears but it also has giant body. Zoologists from American Museum of Natural History in New York City have found out which animal has biggest ears relative to its body size. And answer is... the long-eared jerboa. Not many people know about this cute, big-eared creature. It is rodent. It lives in deserts of China and Mongolia. It is nocturnal creature, which means it is active at night and sleeps during day.
Zoologist Mary Ellen Holden described jerboa. She said its body measures about 10 centimetres (not counting its long tail). Its ears are 3.8 to 5cm long. This means its ears are 40 to 50 per cent as long as its body length. elephant's ears are just 17 per cent of its body length. Professor Holden said: "The jerboa has longest ears for the size of its body in entire animal kingdom." Professor Holden explained why some animals have large ears. They usually live in very hot areas. Large ears help animal to keep cool in heat. Their ears are large, thin and have many tiny blood vessels. The blood releases heat from body into the air, which helps animal cool down.
