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