More

Animal Play Present In Fish, Reptiles And Invertebrates, New Research Suggests

First Posted: 10/20/10 01:44 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 07:05 PM ET

Inspiring
 Enlightening
 Infuriating
 Scary
 Helpful
 Amazing
 Innovative
 Adorable
Turtle

sciencedaily.com:

Seeing a child or a dog play is not a foreign sight. But what about a turtle or even a wasp?

Apparently, they play, too.

In fact, according to Gordon Burghardt, a psychology professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, many animals -- not just dogs, cats, and monkeys -- need a little play time.

Read the whole story: sciencedaily.com

FOLLOW HUFFPOST GREEN

Seeing a child or a dog play is not a foreign sight. But what about a turtle or even a wasp? Apparently, they play, too. In fact, according to Gordon Burghardt, a psychology professor at the Univers...
Seeing a child or a dog play is not a foreign sight. But what about a turtle or even a wasp? Apparently, they play, too. In fact, according to Gordon Burghardt, a psychology professor at the Univers...
Related News On Huffington Post:
 

Injured Turtle Gets Wheels To Walk (VIDEO) Lizard Shoots Blood Out Of Eye As Defense Mechanism (VIDEO) Adriatic Sea Pollution Killing Loggerhead Turtles, One-Third Found With Plastic In Intestines: Study '100 Heartbeats': Jeff Corwin's New Book Highlights The Race To Save Species Endangered By Mankind (PHOTOS) Fighting, Racing And Hunting: Cruel Animal Sports (PHOTOS) Oversized Animals (PHOTOS) Animal Photos Of The Week Dogs Recognize Their Owner's Face: New Study Wild Dolphins Learn To 'Walk On Water' In Australia Spin The Lamb Gets Around In A Pet Wheelchair (VIDEO) Penguins Are Not Gay, They Are Just Lonely: Study Rinderpest: The Cattle Plague Goes The Way Of Smallpox Gulf Oil Spill Investigation: Dead Animals Scrutinized By Scientists To Determine BP's Liability Animal Abuse Registry: Suffolk County, NY Creating Nation's First Public Database Tracking Animal Cruelty Offenders 50 Cent Pressured To Adopt Phila The Rhino Who Was Also Shot 9 Times
Read more from Huffington Post bloggers:
Peter Seligmann
Harrison Ford

Peter Seligmann and Harrison Ford: America's Commitment to Nature: Another Endangered Species?

The United States contributes huge sums of both private and public money to international conservation projects, but we don't have an official voice in the planning processes that prioritize how large portions of that money are spent.

Filed by Travis Donovan  | 

More in Green...


 
 
  • Comments
  • 9
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
photo
thromulese
i have a scream
108 Fans
04:03 PM on 11/04/2010
This is really amazing.

It just proves that there is so much we don’t know about beings that are not human. It’s time to start showing them much more respect and by extension, more protections.
Permalink  |
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Minolta
147 Fans
08:31 PM on 10/21/2010
A friend of my wifes was driving home. She had to stop because a bear cub was in the road while Momma bear was on the side of the road.

Baby was on his back and had a turtle up in the air spinning it around, looking at it, trying to play with it.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
eyelashviper
In wilderness is the preservation of the world
2932 Fans
04:20 PM on 10/20/2010
Of course reptiles play, we saw Karl Rove and David Gregory jumping around to music on stage together awhile back...though it could have been a mating ritual.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
doodlebug2
373 Fans
05:07 PM on 10/20/2010
hey, I got pet repstiles, do not offend them this way by comparing them to those creatures.
Permalink  |
LaBrayne35
62 Fans
03:23 PM on 10/20/2010
I think President Obama should take over the entire food industry and force everyone to go Vegan.
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
isaluna
122 Fans
03:32 PM on 10/20/2010
that is a stupid comment - he is not a dictator and he is not superman.
Permalink  |
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
mootown
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
496 Fans
03:46 PM on 10/20/2010
Thank you.
Permalink  |
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
PWM
Eisenhower Rep. The 1% started class warfare.
2415 Fans
 
03:10 PM on 10/20/2010
Burghardt sums up his five criteria in one sentence: "Play is repeated behavior that is incompletely functional in the context or at the age in which it is performed and is initiated voluntarily when the animal or person is in a relaxed or low-stress setting."
Permalink  |
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
mairs
3067 Fans
03:07 PM on 10/20/2010
Whoever thought that just dogs, cats, and monkeys play? Everyone knows that all mammals play. Birds play.....Please give us a little credit here!
Permalink  |