The ears of a horse can move and swivel in different directions separately.
This enables the horse to listen carefully to sounds in the front of it and behind it.
The ears of the horse are flexible and mobile.
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Tag pinna
Animal Ears: do big animals have big ears?
Do big animals have big ears and small animals have small ears? No, animal ears are many sizes and shapes.
Most ears have an outer ear (a pinna, a canal, and an eardrum), a middle ear, and an inner ear.
The pinna is the fleshy part that is visible. It is made of cartilage, not bone, so it is soft. It usually also has an ear lobe. The pinna directs sound through the canal to the eardrum.
The pinna has a muscle that moves the ear. For example, elephants and dogs can move their ears. Animals move their ears in the direction of a sound so that they can hear better.
Not all animals can move their ears because they have weak and non-functioning ear muscles. Animals that cannot move their ears include gorillas and monkeys. Humans cannot move their ears (without touching them).
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