14 Animals That Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Animals are indeed lovely creatures, and their cuteness can melt your heart. People considered an animal cute based on their face, personality, and appearance. Animals can make people laugh in different ways.

People can also make animals laugh because animals have also a sense of humor and feelings. Scientists have proven that many animals have a sense of humor, and they can feel emotions like anger, sadness, and guilt.

However, only a few species of animals can show their laughing face to the crowd. These animals laugh a lot that most people don’t recognize. 

What animals laugh a lot?

To give you some intro, these are the 14 animals that laugh a lot:

  • Dolphins
  • Kea
  • Chimpanzees
  • Bonobo
  • Rats
  • Gorillas
  • Dogs
  • Orangutans
  • Seals
  • Crows
  • Elephants
  • Fox
  • Donkey
  • Pigs

There are many hidden facts into the laugh of the animals listed above. Let’s take a look at some of it!

These Are The Animals That Laugh A Lot

When you start reading, you start to wonder, are these the only animals that can feel joy and laughter?

All animals can feel tremendous joy and laughter. However, we only chose animals that are worth featuring. We featured these 14  animals because these animals are well-known animals for laughing a lot and having a good sense of humor.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the famous animals that laugh a lot. 

1. Dolphins

Animals That Laugh A Lot

Dolphins are one of the most intelligent, most loved, and friendly animals on the planet. They are loved by most people because of their friendly and humorous personality. 

Dolphins are also good at expressing their emotions. They show when they are sad, angry, frustrated, or happy. Unlike any other friendly animals like dogs and cats, dolphins are capable of showing empathy towards people, other animals, and other dolphins. 

Many marine scientists have recorded many pieces of evidence and footage that show how a dolphin laughs. They believe that the laughter of dolphins has an important role in socialization. Also, they believe that dolphins are one of the animals that have good social skills. 

2. Kea Birds

kea birds 1

A Kea bird is a species of parrot and most commonly seen in New Zealand. They are the only birds that can make their fellow species laugh.

Kea birds are a playful species of birds, and they can still be happy even if they are alone. The scientists discovered that Kea birds make distinct types of sounds called “play call”. This is a sound they make, which means they are being playful. 

The scientists recorded the laughing sound of a Kea bird and played it in front of the two Kea birds. What happened next? When they started playing the laughing sound, the Kea birds responded a playful response to each other. 

They proved that the Kea birds used this kind of sound to invite other Kea birds to play. 

3. Chimpanzees

chimpanzee laughing

Chimpanzees are one of the most clever members of the apes family. These types of apes can be found across central and west Africa. So if you are looking to play with a chimpanzee, then start packing and buy a ticket to west Africa.

Chimps are also playful animals. They are also loving and caring to their fellow chimps. Just like humans, Chimps can also express their feelings through body language and facial expressions.

Scientists proved that chimpanzees laugh a lot, especially if they are getting tickled in places like the armpit or feet. They also laugh when their fellow chimps tell a joke or if they are being playful. Their laugh can be subtle or loud, depending on how funny something is.  

Chimpanzees are also good at socializing with humans and with their fellow chimpanzees.

4. Bonobo

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Just like humans and chimps, Bonobos are also one of the happiest in apes species.  

They laugh when they are getting tickled, enjoying themselves, playing with humans, or with their fellow Bonobo. Bonobos also laugh when they play.

Bonobos have different distinctive sounds to express themselves. They also use these sounds to communicate with others. Bonobos make different tones of sounds for different situations.

5. Rats

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Rats are well known for being a pest. However, they have good personalities that most people don’t know. They are one of the happiest animals on the planet.

Rats can also feel happy, and they also laugh a lot. They show that they are laughing through their giggling sounds. Rats laugh every time they are getting tickled, engaging in a social play with humans or fellow rats, or every time they are given food. 

The giggles sounds rats produce when they are laughing are inaudible to human ears. Many researchers believe that the laugh behavior of the rats has similar mechanisms in the brain like in humans. 

https://youtu.be/d-84UJpYFRM

6. Gorillas

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Gorillas are also ticklish like the other species of apes. Scientists observed that gorillas also produce laugh-like panting when they are getting tickled, playing with fellow gorillas, or with humans. They can also make jokes and can make other gorillas laugh. 

Gorillas are also smart primates that can survive on their own or with groups. They are also sociable and friendly animals. 

7. Dogs

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Canines are very friendly, loyal, and playful animals. Dogs are part of the canine group, which is more dependent on humans than other canines species. They can be clingy to humans, especially to their owners.

Dogs are also good at expressing emotions. They show that they love their owners in different ways, and they can also tell if they wanted to play. 

Dogs produce sounds to express their emotions and feelings. Their sounds sometimes make their owners confused. However, with proper research, you can tell what your dog feels when they produce certain sounds. 

One of the reasons why dogs produce sounds is because they are laughing.

Scientists make a study of the laughing sounds of a dog. They have discovered that dogs have different versions of laughter. Scientists also proved that dogs are always happy if they are with their owners, and being happy can make dogs live longer.

8. Orangutans

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Orangutans are also part of the apes group, and they are also considered as the humans’ most distant ape relatives. 

All apes can laugh if tickled or having fun. But orangutans have different enjoyment than other apes. Orangutans love messing and playing with humans more than their fellow orangutans. 

Scientists observed that orangutans love messing up with people. Orangutans are spitting at people and doing crazy things to people, then playfully clap and laugh. 

Like bullies in humans, when a human reacts to the first prank the orangutan did, the orangutan will be more likely to make that human a target again.

 However, orangutans never mess up with humans that they find scary. They will only play with humans that they think are friendly.

9. Seals

Animals That Laugh A Lot

Seals are marine mammals. They are smart, playful, and friendly to humans. Seals often play with their fellow seals every time they have free time because they are busy hunting for food or busy parenting their pups. 

However, not all species of seals are friendly. Some seals are friendly because they have been tamed and used to be with people. 

Seals that have been tamed are normally friendly to humans and more likely to play with them. They also laugh a lot when they found something funny or if they are getting tickled.

The Leopard seals are the species of seals that are well known for hunting and killing warm-blooded prey, and they also kill other weak species of seals. They are considered a dangerous species of seal. 

10. Crows

crows laughing

Crows are part of the corvids, which are considered the smartest species of birds. Many scientists observed that corvids have a strong sense of humor and they enjoy messing around with other animals.

Crows are a naughty and playful animal. They find happiness by annoying other animals, and they do this without any reason but only for their enjoyment. 

Scientists discovered that crows usually enjoy pulling the tails of other animals like dogs, cats, lions, etc. Some say they do this as a tactic for stealing food. 

However, there are some footages where crows do this even without any food involved. This footage leads people to believe that crows do these tail pullings as a prank, and they are considered the greatest animal prankster.

11. Elephants

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Elephants are also good at expressing their feelings. They also show empathy and sympathy towards their fellow species. Elephants are also one of the animal species that bury their dead fellow elephants, and they also mourn for its death. 

Elephants are also playful creatures, and playtime is an important time for every elephant. Also, their playful habit doesn’t stop even though their childhood ends. 

Elephants are also good at socializing with their fellow elephants. They produce sounds from their trumpets while socializing. Elephants also laugh a lot every time they find something funny, and if they are in a playful state. 

Scientists also discovered that elephants who play more during their childhood are more likely to become a leader when they grow up. 

12. Fox

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

Foxes are known for being a dangerous predator for other animals. However, foxes that are tamed by humans and used to be with people are friendly. 

Russian researchers observed that foxes are domesticated by humans used to laugh more, and they are happier when they are around with humans. 

Foxes can also find laughing when they are getting tickled and if they are being playful to their fellow foxes. They also tend to laugh when they successfully slaughter an animal for their food. 

Foxes have unique laughter sounds that most people find amusing. They laugh like babies, and it is cute to hear. Foxes also produce different vocalizations that are inclined to their current mood. 

13. Donkeys

14 Animals That Actually Laugh A Lot (With Pictures)

In the movie called Shrek, the personality of the donkey there is friendly and playful, which shows the true personality of a donkey in real life. 

Donkeys are playful and enjoy doing lots of activities together with their fellow donkeys. They are also friendly to humans, especially with their owners. Donkeys are also emotional, and they express their emotions through sounds.

The limbic system of a donkey where their emotion, behavior, motivation, and memories are placed, has the same size as the human. This means that donkeys have a strong memory, and they can remember their owner even if they haven’t seen each other for a long time. 

You often see donkeys smile right? Most people thought that when a donkey showed his teeth, they are smiling. This is not a smile. Donkeys expose their front teeth, also known as flehmen when they find an interesting smell. 

Even though people mistakenly assume that donkeys smile when they expose their front teeth, the assumption of people on the laughter of donkeys cannot be wrong because it is scientifically proven. 

Scientists proved that donkeys laugh too much when they are happy, when their owners are playing with them, and if they found something funny. The donkeys produced distinctive sounds when they laugh.

14. Pigs

Animals That Laugh A Lot

Pigs are normally used as food for humans. However, pigs have more role in human lives than being a meal at the table. 

Pigs are also smart, and they are also friendly towards humans. Like dogs, pigs are also dependent on humans. They want hugs, kisses, and they crave attention and time with their fellow human friend. 

Pigs also have good social skills. They will communicate with humans by producing certain sounds like barking and coughing. Pigs also have a laugh sound. They use this sound to show that they are pleased with something or if they are happy. 

Which Animals Normally Giggles When Laughing?

So far, there are only two well-known animals to get the giggles when laughing. 

The ape’s species and rats are the two kinds of animals that proved that they are giggling when they are happy. 

Like humans, rats and apes have tickle skin. Tickle skin is an area of the body that generates greater laughter. Both species usually start laughing when they are getting tickled by humans, they love being tickled by humans.

Apes show laughter through sounds and physical movements. They laugh every time they get excited, play with their fellow apes, or if they are around humans. Apes also like to mess up with people, and they find it funny especially the orangutans. 

Rats also get the giggles when laughing. Scientists proved that rats are producing soft sounds when they are laughing, which are inaudible for human ears. They proved this by examining one rat where they tickled the rat and recorded the distinct sounds produced by the rat.

The laughter among rats is like a virus because it spreads. Rats that laugh often prefer to spend more time with other laughing rats. Also, rats that are often laughing are most likely to have more rat friends than sad and depressed rats. 

Rats and Apes like to laugh a lot. It is proven that both species live longer if they are always laughing, and if they are always happy. However, even though these two species separate themselves from other animals because of their laughing giggles, they are still not as smart as humans because intelligence is not a requirement for laughing. 

Final Words

Animals are so cute because of their appearances and because of their personalities. However, they become cuter if we found them laughing. 

Just like humans, laughter is also great medicine for animals. It was scientifically proven, animals that are happy and more often laugh live longer than animals who are sad and depressed.

If you have a dog or any pets, make sure to make them happy if you want them to live longer with you. Tickle them, play with them, and buy them their favorite delicious food. 

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About
Jake Willhoite
Jake runs AnimalDome.com and has had cats and dogs his entire life. As a kid his family adopted several dogs from the local shelter which set him down the path of animal rescue.
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