Colorado rabbits seem to be growing horns and tentacles. What's behind 'Frankenstein rabbits'?
People in northern Colorado have been reporting sightings of wild rabbits with black horns and tentacles on their faces. The rabbits appeared to have 'black quills or black toothpicks' and 'a scabbiesh-looking growth over their face,' some Fort Collins residents told local outlet, 9News. Others have dubbed them 'Frankenstein rabbits.'
These dark growths are most likely caused by a virus that tends to pop up in the summer in states like Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota and Texas.
The virus is Shope papilloma virus (SPV), which causes wart-like, waxy growths on a rabbit's face and is spread through biting insects like fleas or ticks, Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), told Yahoo. The virus is found in cottontail rabbits and is common in Colorado, especially during the summer when there is higher rabbit density and insect activity. While CPW has received around a dozen reports of sightings over the last week, Van Hoose speculates that there probably aren't that many cases of SPV, but rather, many people are likely seeing the same group of infected rabbits.
There is no risk of virus transmission to humans or other animals, though the CPW recommends that humans and pets should still stay away and not interact with infected rabbits if they cross paths. However, the CPW also notes that domestic rabbits, if they are housed outside, could contract the virus from infected insects or rabbits.
What to do if you spot a rabbit with SPV
Rabbits remain mostly healthy after contracting SPV, even if the growths get very long and start to look like horns, which is why the CPW does not recommend euthanizing the infected rabbits.
'If someone sees a rabbit with the black tumors on its head or neck it is not a concern for Animal Control,' Julie Lindstrom, a supervisor at Sioux Falls Police Animal Control, told Keloland, a South Dakota outlet. 'There is no rehabilitation for wild rabbits with this disease.'
SPV is only harmful when the growths start to interfere with a rabbit's ability to eat or drink, which does not happen in every case. A person may be able to spot if this is a problem if they notice the rabbit doesn't seem able to hop properly, Lindstrom said.
If you find a dead rabbit on your property, regardless of whether it is visibly infected or not, Lindstrom noted that it is safe to wear gloves and handle the animal yourself if you feel comfortable.
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NBC News
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Rabbits with 'horns' in Colorado are being called 'Frankenstein bunnies.' Here's why
DENVER — A group of rabbits in Colorado with grotesque, hornlike growths may seem straight out of a low-budget horror film, but scientists say there's no reason to be spooked — the furry creatures merely have a relatively common virus. The cottontails recently spotted in Fort Collins are infected with the mostly harmless Shope papillomavirus, which causes wart-like growths that protrude from their faces like metastasizing horns. Viral photos have inspired a fluffle of unflattering nicknames, including 'Frankenstein bunnies,' 'demon rabbits' and 'zombie rabbits.' But their affliction is nothing new, with the virus inspiring ancient folklore and fueling scientific research nearly 100 years ago. The virus likely influenced the centuries-old jackalope myth in North America, which told of a rabbit with antlers or horns, among other animal variations. The disease in rabbits also contributed to scientists' knowledge about the connection between viruses and cancer, such as the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer. The virus in rabbits was named after Dr. Richard E Shope, a professor at The Rockefeller University who discovered the disease in cottontails in the 1930s. News about the rabbit sightings in Fort Collins, 65 miles north of Denver, started getting attention after residents started spotting them around town and posting pictures. Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the agency has been getting calls about the rabbits seen in Fort Collins. But she said that it's not uncommon to see infected rabbits, especially in the summer, when the fleas and ticks that spread the virus are most active. The virus can spread from rabbit to rabbit but not to other species, including humans and pets, she said. The growths resemble warts but can look like horns if they grow longer, Van Hoose said. The growths don't harm rabbits unless they grow on their eyes or mouths and interfere with eating. Rabbits' immune systems are able to fight the virus and, once they do, the growths will disappear, she said.
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4 hours ago
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Yes, these rabbits appear to have tentacles. They're harmless, experts say.
Rabbits with tentacle-like growths emerging from their heads were spotted in Colorado this past week and photos were shared widely on social media, but officials said there was little cause for alarm. Kara Van Hoose, spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the growths were likely the result of a papillomavirus that could not spread to humans or other animal species and was not new to the region.
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Fact Check: 'Weird Tentacles' Or 'Horns' On Rabbit Heads Caused By Common Virus
Are rabbits spotted in the wild with "weird tentacles" or "horns" infected with a rare virus, as claimed by social media users? No, this is misleading. The rabbits have a common viral infection, papillomavirus, that causes extensive skin growth that looks like horns or tentacles. A spokesperson for the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Department told Lead Stories the "wart-like growths" on the rabbits are "not uncommon." The infection has long been known to hunters and affects wild cottontail rabbits in the Midwest and on the East Coast, according to a published scientific article. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) where it was published on on August 12, 2025 It opened: Rabbits in Colorado spotted with tentacle-like growths on their heads from rare virus This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing: The Colorado Parks & Wildlife Department explains the infection on their website (archived here): Rabbit PapillomasRabbit papillomas are growths on the skin caused by the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus. The growths have no significant effects on wild rabbits unless they interfere with eating/drinking. Most infected cottontails can survive the viral infection, after which the growths will go away. For this reason, CPW does not recommend euthanizing rabbits with papillomas unless they are interfering with the rabbit's ability to eat and drink. Kara Van Hoose, a public information officer (archived here) with the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Department, told Lead Stories via email on August 13, 2025, that they have received about a dozen reports of rabbits in the northern Colorado area with "wart-like growths" on their face but they believe it is most likely people reporting the same rabbits and not a dozen rabbits infected. She explained that the virus is not rare: It's most likely the rabbit (or shope) papilloma virus which is not uncommon in Colorado. The virus is spread through biting insects like fleas or ticks. She said the virus cannot spread to humans or pets and warned, "As with any wildlife, pets should not interact or come in contact with the rabbits." An article published in 2024 on the National Library of Medicine website (archived here) titled, "A Century of Shope Papillomavirus in Museum Rabbit Specimens," explains the virus: Rabbit papillomatosis is a viral infection caused by Sylvilagus floridanus papillomavirus (SfPV; family Papillomaviridae). It can cause extensive skin growths in cottontail rabbits, especially around the head. Although long known to hunters, the disease was first reported in 1931 SfPV growths frequently occur on the face, head, neck, and back of Sylvilagus rabbits, but may appear anywhere (on the affected animal) and can be quite cryptic when small. Growths can be several centimeters in length. Social media posts claimed the rabbits with the virus were "invading parts of the US" without noting that the virus is common and known in the areas, like this one posted on X: And this one also posted on X: While some are calling the rabbits with the horns jackalopes, that is also not true, as jackalopes are not real. In the early 1900s two brothers were hunting Jack rabbits in Wyoming when they found one of their dead rabbits next to a pair of antlers. They taxidermied the rabbit with the antlers and the legend began, according to Live Wyld magazine (archived here). Solve the daily Crossword
