# Is humor exclusive to humans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741 "2005-11-19T00:37:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/21 "2005-11-20T02:31:14Z")
> [@zoo](#): > > Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. Where is the line between fun and funny? Do any animals think a fart is amusing? Not other people’s farts, but Duchess thinks they are the best prank to play on anyone. She will come into the room from the other end of the house, jump up onto the couch, snuggle down with whomever is there, and let one rip. She has gas that can peel paint. She then just gets back up and goes back to her previous haunt. I know she does this on purpose, and I swear she chuckles as she is leaving th eroom. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/22 "2005-11-20T02:33:28Z")
> [@jocularjason](#): > > And what’s humor if not the age old pastime of watching someone elses misery. “When I stub my toe, that’s tragedy. When YOU fall down a manhole…that’s comedy!” - Mel Brooks ---
**Author:** ![jsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@jsmith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsmith)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/23 "2005-11-20T03:27:24Z")
How are you defining humor? We can come up with lots of examples of animals being playful for their amusement. That certainly fits Webster’s definition of humor. Are you perhaps thinking of intelligent humor? Such as the ability to convey something humorous, like a joke? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/24 "2005-11-22T04:01:22Z")
> [@EvilGhandi](#): > > Don’t know if this: > > [http://www.ebaumsworld.com/monkeyvstiger.html](http://www.ebaumsworld.com/monkeyvstiger.html) > > Guy has a sense of humor, but he sems to be having fun. That was hilarious. But I do wonder if he was playing or protecting turf, trying to run the tigers off. Either way, it was a hoot to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/25 "2005-11-22T06:54:33Z")
Perhaps [these](http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/050331_laughter_ancient.html) [links](http://www.psychomedia.it/rapaport-klein/panksepp05.htm) will be of interest. Jaak Panskepp is a well-known and respected cognitive scientist, if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/26 "2005-11-22T16:04:07Z")
ZOO: “Is humor exclusive to humans?” This doesn’t rule out ETs. I once witnessed chipmunks drinking beer. The group seemed to enjoy watching each other trying to walk straight. Regardless, enjoying drunkeness would seem to indicate a capacity for abstact thought. Abstract thinking implies capacity for humor, imho. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/27 "2005-11-23T02:47:23Z")
> [@Hombre](#): > > ZOO: “Is humor exclusive to humans?” > This doesn’t rule out ETs. Nor gods. And why shouldn’t they laugh? We’re _funny_. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/28 "2005-11-23T04:01:38Z")
> [@zoo](#): > > Do any animals think a fart is amusing? Well, I know our dog uses them as a combination of humour and revenge. My partner occasionally likes to let one rip onto our Kelpie, Bella. Most times she ignores it partly because a) it’s from her beloved Master b) she’s asleep and c) because it probably doesn’t even compare to the ones she drops, which are silent deadly eye-watering zingers. A close friend, after a couple of drinks and encouragement from said partner, also felt the need to bestow Bella with a gift. Dog ignores this but after about 20 minutes (during which she’s been building one up), she gets up from her sleep, goes over to our friend, **reverses** up to him and drops one. Then she sneaks off back to her mat and goes straight back to sleep. You can’t tell me she wasn’t trying to keep a straight face when the silent deadly was detected! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/29 "2005-11-25T02:40:31Z")
> [@zoo](#): > > Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. Where is the line between fun and funny? Do any animals think a fart is amusing? Portuguese Water Dogs are known for having a very clearly observable sense of humor. One small example: both of my dogs will occasionally come up to me, sit, beg for my attention, and when I look at them … let out a little burp. ---
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741/30 "2005-11-25T04:11:19Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Without the ability to communicate with animals, I’m not quite sure how you’d decide. > > Play can be said to be related to humor, and certain animals engage in what is hard to interpret as anything but play. I’ve seen pictures of ravens repeatedly sliding downhill on snow. Small nitpick: how can you see _pictures_ of ravens doing anything _repeatedly_ ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-humor-exclusive-to-humans/331741.md?page=1)