Laughter is one of the earliest and most natural expressions in humans. Babies often start giggling at just 3 to 4 months old, long before they can talk or walk. But laughter isn't unique to humans—it turns out many animals also express joy in their own way.
A UCLA study identified 65 species of animals that exhibit “play vocalizations,” which we might equate to laughter. Some of these were already known—like apes and rats—but others might surprise you. Alongside various primates, animals like domestic cows, dogs, foxes, seals, mongooses, and even certain bird species make playful sounds that resemble laughter. (Note: birds mimicking human laughter doesn’t count as their own laughter.)
The study, led by UCLA primatologist Sasha Winkler and communication professor Greg Bryant, was published in Bioacoustics. It explores the characteristics of animal laughter, including its tone, pitch, loudness, and rhythm.
But what does animal laughter actually sound like? While it’s tricky to document in the wild—especially for animals with quieter vocalizations—we do have some recorded examples. For instance, listen to foxes laugh like playful children:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0aK-_d8ZL0
And bonobo chimps? They laugh too, and it's adorable:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhlHx5ivGGk
Interestingly, some laughter isn’t as obvious. For example, rats laugh when tickled, a discovery made by researchers at Humboldt University of Berlin. Their giggles are ultrasonic, so you’d need special equipment to hear them, but the rats clearly enjoy the interaction and even seek it out.
The UCLA researchers believe studying animal laughter helps us understand our evolutionary behaviors. “This work shows how something once thought uniquely human is shared with species that diverged from us tens of millions of years ago,” Bryant explained.
“When we laugh, we’re signaling to others that we’re having fun and inviting them to join,” Winkler added. “Laughter may be the human version of an ancient play signal shared by many animals.”
Who else is now imagining a laughing cow? 🐄