Do Animals Laugh? These animals sure do

August 18, 2022 by C.B. Daniels

Do animals laugh a lot? Some of them do, and some don’t. In this article, we will present to you some animals that laugh a lot that you might not know about and some other facts.

When we look at nature, especially animals, it might not seem that they are so different from us. Certain animals dream and twitch just like humans when they have a nightmare. Other animals love their partners until death, and some animals even laugh.

Some animals that laugh a lot include gorillas, rats, dolphins, dogs, chimpanzees, orangutans, seals, elephants, crows, foxes, donkeys, bonobo, kea birds, and even pigs, among others. But what makes these animals laugh a lot? Let’s find out!

1. Chimpanzees

When it comes to the great apes family, the chimpanzees are among some of its cleverest members. Primarily found across central and west Africa, chimpanzees are very playful animals, and love and care about their fellow chimps.

But what is love without a bit of laughter? Facial expressions and the body language of chimpanzees reveal a lot about them, and scientists proved astonishing discoveries about them. It appears that chimpanzees laugh a lot when they are ticked, just like humans.

Some of their most sensitive areas include the armpit or feet. In groups, chimps appear to tell jokes to one another if they are playful and laugh. The chimpanzee laughter can be both subtle or very loud, depending on how much something makes them laugh.

2. Kea Birds

In New Zealand, there is a species of parrot called the Kea bird. In the animal kingdom, it appears that Kea birds are unique. They are the only birds who intentionally make their fellow specie members laugh.

These beautiful birds are very playful, even when they are alone. Through different observations, it appears that Kea birds make particular types of sounds that scientists labeled as “play call”.

When Kea birds do this, they alert their fellow birds that they are playful. In an interesting experiment, scientists recorded the laughing sound of a Kea bird. They used this recording in front of two other Kea birds to see how they would react.

It appears that the two Kea birds started to laugh and initiate playful mannerisms. Thus, it was concluded that Kea birds use laughter to invite other birds to play with them.

3. Dolphins

If there is an animal more friendly on this earth than dogs, then certainly dolphins take the cake. Dolphins are quite humorous and loving, and they are very good at showing their emotions. You can almost tell instantly if dolphins are frustrated, sad, angry, or happy. But can dolphins laugh? It appears they do, and quite often.

Marine scientists have often recorded dolphins and observed them in various experiments to analyze their behavior and gauge their intelligence. In many instances, dolphins were shown to laugh and they proved how laughter is very important in socialization for them. Many believe that dolphins are the only animals that have exceptional social skills, but there is still so much to learn about them.

4. Bonobos

Another ape species that appears to laugh a lot, are the bonobos. Just like chimps and humans, bonobos appear to laugh when they are tickled. Some bonobos even tickle themselves to release stress, or when they are playing.

Bonobos are very vocal when they express their emotions. Through laughter, bonobos show that they are having a good time and invite others to play. When humans and bonobos get close to each other, they let humans tickle them.

5. Rats

Even the tiniest of creatures in the animal kingdom appear to laugh, such as the case when it comes to rats. Although many consider them pests, they might change their mind if they knew that rats laugh.

Labeled as one of the happiest animals on the earth, rats laugh and showcase this through giggling sounds. Rats appear to laugh when they are given food. They do this to express their happiness.

When rats engage in social play with other rats or even humans, they also appear to laugh if they are tickled or have a good time. Unfortunately, the giggling sounds of rat laughter are inaudible to human ears.

Many researchers have concluded that laughing behavior in rats has a similar mechanism in the brain to humans. It’s so sad that we can’t hear their laughter through normal means. What’s even cuter about laughing rats is that they prefer to spend more time with fellow rats which can make them giggle.

6. Dogs

Dogs are among the most loyal, friendly, and playful animals that are around. They are quite dependent on humans and protect their owners against other animals or humans if they are threatened.

The cutest part about dogs is how easy it is to tell their mood, as they are very good at expressing their emotions. They often invite their human caretakers to play or express their love in various ways.

However, dogs laugh a lot as well. Sounds are often used by dogs to express emotions and feelings. In time, many of us can tell exactly what our dog wants based on the sounds that they are making, and you might discover when your dog is laughing as well.

Dogs have different sounds for laughter. Scientists have observed that dogs laugh when they are happy, or excited. It is also proven that laughter is a healthy trait, but not just for humans. Laughter can increase the average lifespan of other animals, including dogs.

7. Gorillas

Gorillas are known for their brute force, but they are lovely animals. In nature, they mostly avoid conflicts, preferring to be left alone. However, when gorillas gather, it appears that they like to laugh. Like other ape species, gorillas are ticklish.

They produce laugh-like panting when they are playing, or making jokes which can often initiate laughter in other gorillas. They are friendly and highly sociable creatures, with an often underappreciated intelligence.

8. Seals

When it comes to marine mammals, it appears that seals also laugh a lot. They are friendly, smart, and playful creatures, even to humans. Every time seals aren’t looking for food or are preoccupied with other issues, such as feeding their pups, they often play with each other.

If they find something funny they will laugh, but more often, laughing is caused by tickling. Seals can be tickled by humans, or they tickle each other when they play, resulting in laughter. Some species of seals are dangerous though, so it is best to approach only tamed seals.

9. Elephants

Elephants are majestic giants that showcase a lot of empathy towards their species. They are among the few species of animals that bury their dead. Elephants often revisit such burial places and mourn together.

This is because elephants care deeply about each other as they are very playful creatures. They play with fellow elephants from a young age, and this playfulness doesn’t stop even when they reach adulthood.

Elephants use their trumpets to produce sounds which helps them socialize. If they are in a playful state, or if they find something amusing, they will laugh just like humans. Elephants who are more playful in their childhood appear to be the best leaders, according to scientists.

10. Foxes

Being labeled as one of the most cunning animals, foxes often appear in various stories as tricking fellow animals or humans. Tamed foxes though are very friendly and playful. In several observations, tamed foxes were shown to laugh more often than wild foxes.

They laugh if tickled or if they are playful with fellow foxes. Many find the foxes’ laughter contagious as it sounds funny, similar to the laugh of human babies. Now, this might make them seem evil, but foxes have also been shown to laugh when they successfully catch prey.

11. Orangutans

If foxes like to outmaneuver fellow animals and laugh if successful, orangutans are more like the joker of the animal kingdom. Orangutans like to prank people and fellow members of their species.

When they are playful, they like to spit at people or do other relatively annoying things to them. They appear to have a good time doing so, as orangutans showcase laughter and clap if they are successful in their mischiefs.

Orangutans only prank people that are friendly to them. If the person pranked by the orangutan ignores it, the orangutan will leave them alone. However, if they react favorably and friendly, the orangutan will keep pranking that person and laugh.

12. Crows

Another animal prankster is the crows. They are among the most intelligent species of birds with a deep sense of humor and a need to prank fellow animals. Being labeled as both naughty and playful, crows gain a certain level of happiness through their mischiefs.

Crows like to imitate the sound of other animals to confuse them or pull their tails. Even though many would argue that they do this to distract the animals and get food, many crows were observed to do this when no food was involved.

Why Animals Laugh

For a long time, it was considered that humans were the only ones in the animal kingdom to display laughter. However, as more studies are made, and with the help of new technology, it appears that many other animals are capable of laughter. Some honorable mentioned include:

Donkeys
Pigs
Mongooses
Hyenas
Kookaburra

In many cases, laughter is used as a means of communication/socialization, and as many as 60 species of animals are known to laugh. One of the most recent studies by Bioacoustics, tells us that there are currently 65 species of animals that have their own form of laughter.

Do all Animals Laugh?

As many as 65 species of animals were found to display laughter according to a study conducted by Bioacoustics. Many other animals may have the ability to laugh, however, better technology and more observations are needed to conclude this. The laughter of rats, for example, is inaudible to human ears.

Can Cats Laugh?

Although cats and many other felines aren’t capable of physically laughing, some consider purring a different form of laughter. Cats display their emotional state through different methods, and purring is often associated with sounds of joy.

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C.B. Daniels

Hi my name is C.B. Daniels and I make websites. I’ve also always been fascinated by animals. I thought that some of the information about animal diets and pet names was a little thin. So I figured I’d make this site to remedy that! I hope to make this site a hub for information about what animals eat, fun names you can use for your pets, and general animal information. Hopefully, you’ll find all the information about animals you are looking for and much more!