News Animals

Female rats like a different kind of tickling than males

The finding refines how scientists study animal happiness

A white rat with red eyes

Researchers use tickling to study the biology of animal happiness. A new study shows differences in how rats like to be tickled.

Janet Stephens/Wikimedia Commons

By Hannah Thomasy

For nearly a decade, Vincent Bombail has been tickling rats. It’s been a standard technique used in the study of animal happiness. But not all rats particularly enjoy the experience, data show.