The invention relates to an ear tag (1) for identifying animals, enabling a sampleof biological tissue to be taken when the tag is applied to the animal. Said tagcomprises a male part (2) and a female part (3) which are assembled by irreversiblesocketing. The stem of the male part comprises a detachable head (23) having ahollow distal part provided with a cutting edge (25) for cutting out a biologicalsample when the head perforates the ear of the animal. The female part comprisesa central tube (31) for receiving the head and at least partially receiving thestem when the ear tag is applied, said tube being associated with a detachablesample container (32) arranged in the axial extension of the tube. The proximalend (35) of the container has a first opening (33) for receiving the head (23) ofthe stem when the ear tag is applied, and the distal end (36) of the container hasa second opening (34) enabling the inside of the sample container to be reached.The invention also relates to a device comprising a sample container (32) associatedwith the hollow head (23) containing the sample obtained when the identifyingear tag is applied to the animal, and a protection tube comprising a closing cover.Said device enables the sample taken to be stored in a closed space and analysedlater. The sampling system is designed in such a way as to enable the sample to beeasily handled and accessed for the analysis thereof.
