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Rabbits With 'Horns' Seen in Colorado Are Going Viral. Here's What's Really Happening
The Shope papillomavirus outbreak causes horn-like growths on wild and domestic rabbits, but most rabbits can overcome the infection, University of Missouri experts say.
- Residents in Fort Collins, Colorado, noticed wild rabbits with black, tentacle-like keratin tumors emerging from their heads earlier this month.
- Experts identified these wart-like growths as caused by the Shope papillomavirus, a virus discovered in the 1930s that spreads via insect bites such as ticks.
- The virus mainly affects cottontail rabbits in the Midwest, causing visual mutations but usually not posing severe health risks as rabbits' immune systems often overcome it.
- A Colorado Parks & Wildlife spokesperson noted uncertainty if multiple sightings represent distinct rabbits or repeated observations, while experts warn domestic rabbits may experience more severe symptoms.
- This year, the state agency is examining whether the virus's impact has intensified, but there is no evidence it spreads to humans, though domestic pets should avoid contact with infected wild rabbits.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Rabbits With 'Horns' in Colorado Are Being Called 'Frankenstein Bunnies.' Here's Why
(MedPage Today) -- 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...
Sweet muskets transformed into monstrous masks, from which come out black and ramified protuberances, similar to horns or tentacles. They are the so-called Frankenstein cones, specimens of rabbits and wild hares that in recent days are populating the parks and social media of Fort Collins, in Colorado, generating a mixture of amazement, concern and curiosity. The photos, turned viral, are impressive and leave no room for doubt: they are not digi…
In Fort Collins, it's not uncommon to see rabbits scurrying across the lawn. What's disconcerting is seeing them with something that looks like something out of a poorly illustrated storybook: twisted, black horns sticking out of their heads and...
Colorado's Horned Rabbit Problem Isn't As Nightmarish as it Seems
If you find yourself wandering through the Colorado wilderness and you spot a rabbit exhibiting characteristics not traditionally associated with rabbits — horns, specifically — take a deep breath. You haven’t accidentally stumbled into a horror movie; you also aren’t wandering around the phantasmagorical wildlife of speculative fiction novels like Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy. There’s a more mundane explanation afoot.Earlier this mo…
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