Giggles and 'joy jumps': rats love games of hide and squeak, scientists find

Rodents enjoyed being found by humans and would hide again to keep the game going

The next time you see a rat darting for cover, consider this: it might just want to have a playful game of hide-and-seek.

A group of neuroscientists in Germany spent several weeks hanging out with rodents in a small room filled with boxes, and found the animals were surprisingly adept at the childhood game - even without being given food as a reward.