AnimalsFEB 20, 2026

98 Endearingly Derpy Animals That Can Brighten Even The Worst Day

Animals are perhaps the world’s best natural stress-relievers, and for good reason. No matter what they’re doing, they bring us endless smiles and a rush of serotonin that few things can match—whether they’re being sleepy, cuddly, or tearing through the house with the zoomies. But nothing quite compares to when they’re just completely, unabashedly goofy.

That’s exactly the spirit of r/AnimalsBeingDerps. From dogs caught gleefully inhaling air out of car windows to raccoons casually lounging in someone’s backyard, it’s a delightful parade of animals being hilariously, wonderfully themselves. Scroll down—your mood will thank you.

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#21 My Boy And His Long Legs

JessiM123

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Isabelle Laumer, a researcher at UCLA, led a study that sheds light on this. She and her colleagues spent over 75 hours watching great apes interact at zoos, and what they discovered was fascinating.

These apes love to tease each other. The researchers documented 18 distinct teasing behaviors across orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas, including hitting, body slamming, and pulling on body parts.

#22 2 Yrs Later, 1 Lb Lighter, Still Dangling Everywhere

abigailfrillywho

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#23 Penelope Hiding From The Movers

SnowFallIcy

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#24 This Is Sam. He Loves Getting Belly Skritches Just Like This. No Joke

Matty_bunns

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A typical scenario would involve a younger ape sneaking up behind an adult and poking them repeatedly, then waiting to see how they’d react. Often the adult would ignore them, so the youngster would keep escalating until they got a response.

According to the researchers, this behavior mirrors what human children do when they’re trying to get a reaction. While it may not be as sophisticated as what we experience, it certainly qualifies as playful teasing that suggests animals do have their own version of a sense of humor.