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Rabbits are sprouting virus-induced "horns" in Colorado
The Shope papillomavirus causes wart-like horn growths on Fort Collins rabbits, spreading via insect bites and direct contact; most rabbits recover as growths resolve in colder months.
- Fort Collins, Colorado, residents reported horn- and tentacle-like growths on cottontail rabbits on August 13, 2025, caused by a virus, CPW states.
- According to CPW, the Shope papillomavirus spreads through bites from fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, peaking in summer and often clearing in colder months.
- According to CPW, Van Hoose explained the growths are viral-induced and generally harmless unless they impair eating or vision.
- State officials urge residents not to approach, touch, or feed infected wild rabbits, as domestic rabbits can contract the virus and require veterinary treatment.
- Beyond local sightings, reports help CPW track the virus's spread in Colorado, which inspired ancient folklore and scientific research nearly 100 years ago.
134 Articles
134 Articles
In the U.S. state of Colorado, several rabbits have appeared that grow black spines out of their heads. The tentacle-like tips come from a virus that is highly contagious to rabbits. Some animals even die. In the past few days, images of rabbits with strange black growths on their heads have appeared on social networks. These animals are infected with the Cottontail Papillomavirus. "The virus is mostly benign in rabbits," explains Kara Van Hoose…
Colorado’s ‘Frankenstein Bunnies’ Are Freaking Out the Internet
Residents of Fort Collins, Colorado, have recently been spotting what look like rabbits—but at the same time look like living nightmares. These have jet-black horns and tentacle-like growths sprouting from their faces. Before you grab your pitchfork and crucifix, they’re not the result of a Hellmouth opening up. It’s a virus. It’s the Shope papillomavirus, or SPV, a cousin of the human papillomavirus. Transmitted mainly through biting insects li…
Walkers keep seeing creepy-looking rabbits in the US state of Colorado. The animals grow black horns in the face. There is no risk of infection for humans.
With black spikes growing in their heads, tentacles sticking out of their mouths and growths similar to slugs blocking their eyes, several rabbits jumping around Colorado this week have caused comparisons on social networks with nightmare mutants. But local residents and pet owners should not fear the unsightly creatures chewing the lawns of their backyards: rabbits are simply infected with the cotton-tailed rabbit papilloma virus, a largely ben…
Rabbits with strange growths cause vertebrae in Colorado. An expert explains where the unusual appearance comes from and how dangerous it is.
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