Henry's pocket

{{Short description|Fold of skin on the ear of certain mammals}}File:Katzenohr seitlich.JPG

In animal anatomy, Henry's pocket, more formally known as a cutaneous marginal pouch, is a fold of skin forming an open pouch on the lower posterior part of the external ear.{{cite book |first=John R. |last=August |title=Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine, Volume 6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W1MzNT_WIcsC |date=3 November 2009 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=978-1-4377-0188-3 |pages=319–321}} The pocket is situated in the approximate location of the antitragus in the human ear. It occurs in a number of mammalian species, including weasels and bats, but is particularly noticeable on the domestic cat, as well as some dog breeds.

The pocket is of unknown function,{{cite journal |last1= L.K. |first1= Cole |date=4 March 2010 |title=Anatomy and physiology of the canine ear |journal= Veterinary Dermatology|volume= 21|issue= 2|pages=221–231 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-3164.2010.00885.x|pmid= 20230592 |doi-access= free }} and it is unclear if it has any at all. However, one hypothesis is that it aids in the detection of high-pitched sounds by attenuating lower pitches, especially when the ear is angled, common for a predator when hunting. Since the pocket occurs in a wide variety of mammalian species, it is likely a conserved feature from their common ancestor.

The pocket is a common area for parasites to gather, and should be checked during a veterinary examination.{{cite book |first1=Ariane |last1=Neuber| first2=Tim |last2=Nuttall |title=Diagnostic Techniques in Veterinary Dermatology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GHS5DgAAQBAJ |date=20 April 2017 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-1192-3304-6|page=21}}