Originally, emperors and concubines kept crickets as pets in small cages next to their beds to be lulled to sleep by the cricket's song. As for cricket fighting, it dates back over 1,000 years.

Cricket fighting is believed to have started in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and still takes place in most Chinese cities. AFP/Getty Images Upon hearing the term “cricket fighting ...

It's cricket fighting season in China, so NPR went ringside to learn about the centuries-old sport. Turns out, the bugs are really high maintenance, big money's involved and big mandibles matter.

Man Zhiguo's crickets fight each other as he trains them for the upcoming national cricket fighting championships at his house in Beijing September 18, 2013., REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon ...

Cricket fighting sounds like kid’s stuff, but this is really a serious sport for those who spend a lot of time and money to care for and train the creatures.

In recent experiments, male crickets fighting in an arena acted more violently—and upon winning, were more jubilant—when other male or female crickets were in the audience.