Rats have what appears to be a “laugh centre” in their midbrain that is activated when the animals are tickled or when they engage in play behaviours. Researchers first discovered that rats could ...

Apes often make weird sounds when they're tickled, and some researchers now say these pants and hoots truly are related to human laughter. That's the conclusion of a new study in the journal Current ...

Not all rats like to be tickled but by listening to their vocalisations it is possible to understand in real-time their individual emotional response, according to new research by the University of ...

Puppies tussle in the annual Puppy Bowl. Kids start a game of tag in a schoolyard. Play has been observed and documented in many species — and not just in mammals. However, according to Dr. Michael ...

Jack has a degree in Medical Genetics from the University of Leicester.View full profile Jack has a degree in Medical Genetics from the University of Leicester. Rats love watching other rats get ...

A technique that is increasingly used worldwide to improve the welfare of rats in research is rat “tickling”—whereby humans make light, brisk, and vigorous movements with their fingertips on a rat’s ...

A new study is linking brain behavior to silly playtime practices. And they have lab rats laughing out loud to prove it.In the video above, you can hear tiny high-pitched giggles from a rat being ...

If you tickle a rat's belly, it squeals with laughter. However, we are unable to perceive this laughter as its frequency, around 50 kHz, exceeds the range of human hearing. Neuroscientist Jaak ...

Now that we know octopi like to play with cameras, it’s time to investigate other forms of animal play. Did you know that rats laugh when you tickle them? This ...

A ticklish rat is an adorable sight to see. The chubby little rodent darts toward a scientist’s gloved hand, eager for the delightful agony of its next scratch. It emits rapid-fire, ultrasonic ...

Not all rats like to be tickled but by listening to their vocalizations it is possible to understand in real-time their individual emotional response. The study suggests that if this same relationship ...

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