History Main / ExpressiveEars

* ''Literature/TheNightmareStacks''. 'Cassie' decides to [[ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself drop her glamor]] when going to meet the parents of Alex Schwartz (she's worried they might be powerful sorcerers who see past it). Fortunately the parents are quite mundane and far too distracted by Alex's sister marrying a transgender boy/girlfriend to pay much attention to Alex's quirky cosplaying girlfriend, but Alex's sister wants to know if her ears are a Japanese invention that responds to brainwaves, because they keep moving according to her mood. Alex on the other hand finally tumbles to what should have been obvious all along, glamor or no.

* The fey in ''Literature/HeraldsOfRhimn'' have these. Meparik admits that he has trouble reading human emotions since their ears are “useless.”

* Ogier in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''.
** Lampshaded several times by Perrin (after he becomes a wolf-brother) in his POV he mentions his ears trying to lay back in emotional high stress moments.
%%* Bibwit Harte from ''Literature/TheLookingGlassWars''.
%%* The Huanni in the ''Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse''.

* Seen on the title character in Anna Dewdney's ''Literature/LlamaLlama'' picture books. Netflix's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdfdWeaBxFY trailer]] for the animated show depicts him dropping ears, pinned back against head, when Mama Llama announces a shopping trip.
* Creator/MattStover's novelization of ''Franchise/StarWars Episode III: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' makes several references to Master Yoda's ears moving in tune with his moods. "He curled his ears at Anakin." While this novel is now part of ''Star Wars'' Legends, the canon novel ''Literature/DarkDisciple'' also references Yoda using his ears to express his moods.
* In the ''Literature/AnimalAnticsAToZ'' picture books, Jeremy Jackrabbit has these. Possibly other characters too.
%%* All the feas in ''Literature/DestinedToLead''.

* Maia, the elf/goblin emperor of ''Literature/TheGoblinEmperor'', keeps his ears (which would stick out horizontally, if the cover illustration can be believed) down so as to appear calm and in control. He also pays attention to his posture and his breathing. He is (at least provisionally,) Emperor of the Elves, who value self control and dignity.
* The orcs in ''Literature/TheSorceresssOrc'' have this kind of ears. Their ears are often the only sign that they are angry, as they pride themselves on superior self-control (and would also not be well-advised to display any anger towards humans, due to FantasticRacism against orcs)

* Canim (giant wolfmen) have this in ''Literature/CodexAlera''. They quiver when the Canim in question is amused and the 'tell' that a Canim has been [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Taken]] by the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Vord]] is that their ears don't look right (with Alerans, the tell is that there's something wrong with their eyes).

* ''Literature/TheNightmareStacks''. 'Cassie' decides to [[ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself drop her glamor]] when going to meet the parents of Alex Schwartz (she's worried they might be powerful sorcerers who see past it). Fortunately the parents are quite mundane and far too distracted by Alex's sister marrying a transgender boy/girlfriend to pay much attention to Alex's quirky cosplaying girlfriend, but Alex's sister wants to know if her ears are a Japanese invention that responds to brainwaves, because they keep moving according to her mood. Alex on the other hand finally tumbles to what should have been obvious all along, glamor or no.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the Miqo'te are a race of [[CatGirl Cat People]] who have feline ears. Some emotes have them move their ears in a similar fashion to cats, twitching slightly when pleased and folding back when downtrodden or scared.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', miqo'tes are a race of [[CatGirl Cat People]] who have feline ears. Some emotes have them move their ears in a similar fashion to cats, twitching slightly when pleased and folding back when downtrodden or scared.

* Webcomic/Aurora2019: One of the main characters, Alinua, is an [[OurElvesAreDifferent elf]] whose pointy ears droop or lift depending on her emotional state.

* The [[FiveRaces Hrdani]] in ''Literature/TheWarGods'' series have large, fox-like ears. These are frequently described as twitching comically, or standing to attention, or going back with fury, or otherwise demonstrating the owner's emotions.

* Ear movements and positioning can be key in reading the body language of dogs, rabbits, horses and cats. Possibly other animals as well. Humans have the same muscles - a group called the auriculares - around the ear lobes that other mammals do, but they're vestigial, and normally too weak to move the ear as obviously as in other mammals, though some people are able to move their ears freely, most likely through a combination of genetics and training of the muscles.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'': [[Theatre/{{Cats}} Misto]] (he is a cat or a CatBoy) and [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Jareth]] (He is a FairFolk in this fanwork but it's not clear yet if this is a family trait or not).

* In "Colorful and Tasty" from ''WesternAnimation/ElinorWondersWhy'', Ari's ears droop when Elinor tells him that he can't have a cupcake because they're supposed to be selling them to their friends.

* WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'': The dogs' ears droop when they are upset about something.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', miqo'tes are a race of CatFolk who have feline ears. Some emotes have them move their ears in a similar fashion to cats, twitching slightly when pleased and folding back when downtrodden or scared.

* Ear movements and positioning can be key in reading the body language of dogs, rabbits, horses and cats. Possibly other animals as well.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Bibwit Harte from ''Literature/TheLookingGlassWars''.
* The Huanni in the ''Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse''.

%%* Bibwit Harte from ''Literature/TheLookingGlassWars''.
%%* The Huanni in the ''Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse''.

* All of the characters in ''WesternAnimation/Bluey'' has these.

* The titular character of the [[{{Creator/PBS Kids}} PBS Kids Go!]] animated series. ''WesternAnimation/FETCHWithRuffRuffman'' has his ears go up when he's excited or his ears will droop when he's sad or nervous

* The titular character of the {{Creator/PBS Kids}} animated series. ''WesternAnimation/FETCHWithRuffRuffman'' has his ears go up when he's excited or his ears will droop when he's sad or nervous

* The titular character of the {{Creator/PBS Kids Go!}} animated series. ''WesternAnimation/FETCHWithRuffRuffman'' has his ears go up when he's excited or his ears will droop when he's sad or nervous

* The titular character of the {{Creator/PBS Kids Go!}} animated series. ''WesternAnimation/FETCH!WithRuffRuffman'' has his ears go up when he's excited or his ears will droop when he's sad or nervous

* The titular character of the [[Creator/PBS Kids Go! PBS Kids Go's]] animated series. ''WesternAnimation/FETCH!WithRuffRuffman'' has his ears go up when he's excited or his ears will droop when he's sad or nervous