Even rats laugh when they are tickled to be – The Newspaper

Yes, even rats laugh when they are tickled. But only if they are good-humoured. That scientists have of the German Humboldt-university, demonstrated for the first time. To know how that sounds, you need the above video. Or better: listen to it.

For their study, which was published in the scientific journal Science, used the scientists young, male rats. The animals were stroked on their back, their abdomen and their tail, meanwhile, observed the scientists, what response there was.

“We are there for the first time, managed to demonstrate that laughter in animals is triggered can be stimulation,” says neurobiologist Shimpei Ishiyama. “Tickling elicits a kind of primitive joy in animals.”

The result was there: the experimental animals generated high tones during the tickling. Normally, that is inaudible to the human ear, but the scientists managed to get the sound was to sum up in a delayed YouTube video (above).

“They were so excited,” says Ishiyama. “They jumped around and ran my hand chasing. The rats were just small children, who are already giggling by the room ran.”

Noteworthy: there was only a reaction “if the animals entertained.” When the animals are first subjected to bright light (to create fear, elicit) was the reaction to the tickling “considerably less”.

According to dr. Michael Brecht, the leader of the research, can tickle “trick” people and animals “in a fun way together to play and interact”.