Which Animal Has the Best Laugh?

Over 65 different species can laugh, according to researchers.

Laughter is probably my favorite thing that humans routinely do, ranking just ahead of solving mysteries of the universe. (Sorry about it, “heliocentrism.”) So I was intrigued to learn recently that scientists have identified over 65 species of animals that exhibit laughter—or as they describe it, “vocal play behavior.”

The [researchers] combed through the existing scientific literature on animal play behavior, looking for mentions of vocal play signals — or what might be thought of as laughter.

“This work lays out nicely how a phenomenon once thought to be particularly human turns out to be closely tied to behavior shared with species separated from humans by tens of millions of years,” [UCLA professor of communication Greg] Bryant said.

Naturally, my first thought was that I’ve been overlooking a vast potential audience of humor lovers. Chortle subscribers account for a tiny fraction of the human population, but if we apply that same percentage to 65 additional species, we’re suddenly talking about real numbers and big-time bucks. Plus, what else is a zebra going to spend $70/year on?

But not all laughter is created equal. Some laughs are downright off-putting, and I don’t want any real-life Woody Woodpeckers around to annoy all of my humans subscribers. Luckily, I consider myself a laughter expert, so I took to YouTube to research which animals are welcome to come laugh along with us.

Seagull

Verdict: A bit sinister, but at least it’s enthusiastic. Therefore, seagulls are welcome to subscribe to Chortle.

Chimpanzee