Rats can be taught to play hide and seek -- and they squeal with joy when they win, scientists have found.
Both wild and domesticated animals have been known to play, but neuroscientists from Berlin's Humboldt University wanted to know more about the topic after hearing from pet owners and vets that rats seemed to be engaging in more complex forms of play.
Read MoreInstead of being given food, the rats were tickled as their reward for both hiding and finding the researchers. But after being discovered, the rats would sometimes"re-hide," even if it meant a delay in receiving their reward -- proof, the scientists believe, that the rats were playing for the sake of it.
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