Wonders of Happiness in Animals - Week 1.2 - Discussion

[Prof. Sirius Fudge]

When I researched on this topic of laughing animals, I came across a lot of information that are amusing, funny, and inspiring I ended up having smiles on my face after. Hope you do too in this activity. Yes, animals laugh, too. And they do so in different forms and interesting takes. Below are some of what we will term as laughing animals:

 

Dolphins – We are all aware of the intelligence of this species of marine mammals.

 

Kea birds – They are species of parrots from New Zealand. Parrots mimic their surroundings, reflecting the words spoken by those nearby. It is not surprising to know this is extended to the action of laughing.

 

Chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas (ape family members) – We can already picture them laughing hard with their body in action as well. They use sign language to tell jokes.

 

Dogs – Cute dogs would put on their happy face whenever they are content (most of the time having peace and fun with their humans).

 

Rats – Rats would release an ultrasonic chirping sound when tickled. New information there. *nods*

 

Cows, seals, mongooses, Australian magpies – They laugh while they play.

 

It is great to know nature laughs, too. There is that sound of laughter all around us, if only we know how to listen. For this activity, in minimum of 100 words, you can add at least one more species of animals that laugh or you can expound on the animal species mentioned above. You can add more information or trivia about them. If your words are less than 100 words, you can include an image (not greater than 600x600 pixels, please) of the laughing animal species you described. Follow HOL rules in this activity. Kindly include your references if you used any. You have until end of April HOL time to post here and earn 30 diamonds.

 

References used for the information above:

https://mymodernmet.com/study-laughing-animals/

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/10-animals-that-laugh/

https://animaldome.com/animals-laugh-lot/

[River Fenwick]

One species reasonably known for its "laughter" is the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). These animals are famous for their human-like laughter. This creature's vocalizations are characterized as giggle sounds that are high-pitched. Unlike the animals listed above, the spotted hyena doesn't laugh due to joy or fun. Instead, they often make this vocalization when they're feeling threatened, such as being attacked. They also can use this sound when they're frustrated. A fun fact about the pitch of their laughter is that it could give insight into details about the hyena. For example, an older hyena is likely to have a lower pitch than a younger one.

 

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/do-hyenas-really-laugh

[Janne Halla]

I've had no idea that some predominantly water species, like marine mammals, can also laugh! Besides dolphins already mentioned in the first post, killer whales can laugh too! Instead of through their throat and mouths, killer whales 'laugh' through their blowholes, which is where the air passes for them.

 

Killer whales, like many other species, laugh when they try to signify a non-aggressive type of play so that the other party doesn't think it's a fight. Besides through the blowhole, the sounds they make that could be designated as laughter are also clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls.

 

Fun fact, they can also approximate human laugh as well!

 

Source:

https://patch.com/us/across-america/killer-whales-say-hello-goodbye-laugh-listen

[Prof. Felicia Hartwick]

I do love the beach. Sitting in a beach chair, listening to the waves, soaking in the sun and watching the sea gulls. And listening to them as well. They do have a call that indeed makes them sound like they are laughing.

 

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/laughing-gull

 

If you click on this link, click on the blue box on the top right, then scroll down to "Laugh like outburst" and you will hear what I'm talking about.

[Adeline Morior]

The degu or known as the common degu is a type of rodent species endemic Chile known for their laughter. They are highly social creatures with complex social structures and communities. The degu laugh is described as purring or grumbling sound which I can only imagen is the cutest thing. They are able to make up to 15 different sounds. 

 

Here is a few cute images: https://i.postimg.cc/CLH53TfP/Untitled-design.png

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_degu

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

There have been lots of pictures of horses who are 'laughing'. Often, I think, they are simply pictures of horses who are yawning BUT sometimes there is an expression of amusement on their face!  Yes, horses do play tricks on people and on each other (as well as on ... well ... everyone!) and have a great sense of humour ....  and they play with balls (in addition to with each other and other things).  The amusement isn't hugely overt on their faces, but it is there.    

 

 

Horses playing with balls !

[Hiya Debnath]

According to the journal Bioacoustics, research has found that 65 different species of animals have their own forms of laughter. One of the best examples, in my opinion, is the fox. This little carnivore is actually an adorable and cute pet, with unique, playful antics, fluffy coats, and cute faces that can laugh. Minnesota-based fox rescue Save A Fox shared a video of one of their red foxes giggling with delight as it received some belly scritches. Their laughter sounds like high-pitched titters that can be easily mistaken for human noises. Domestic foxes grown in fur farms have been said to have gleeful smiles on their faces when getting petted by their humans.

Image shows a domestic fox receiving a petting and their daily fur scritching from their human and gleefully laughing throughout it.

 

 

Sources: https://mymodernmet.com/fox-laughing-while-being-pet/#:~:text=They can laugh%2C just like,named Finnegan making the sounds.

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/22/999491591/dozens-of-animals-laugh-too-study-shows

[Dibyarup James Potter]

 

After some research, I learnt that there are multiple species of mongoose that can laugh. It was a research paper that studied all animal species that exhibit laughter and found that there are more than sixty-five animal species that possess this ability. Except for the animals listed in the prompt by Sirius, or by the other people, the types of mongooses that can laugh include Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), Indian grey mongoose (Urva edwardsii), and Common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula). Also side note, while writing this answer, I was reminded of my time writing about mongooses in the “Wonders of Mongooses” activities.

 

References:

1. Winkler, S. L. and Bryant, G. A. (2021) ‘Play vocalisations and human laughter: a comparative review’, Bioacoustics, 30(5), pp. 499–526. doi: 10.1080/09524622.2021.1905065.

[https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2021.1905065]

[Prof. Sirius Fudge]

We are not the only animals laughing, right? 30 diamonds to:

 

Adeline Morior

Dibyarup James Potter

Hiya Debnath

Janne Halla

Prof. Felicia Hartwick

Prof. Tarma Amelia Black

River Fenwick