{"id":378873,"date":"2025-08-27T23:38:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T23:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/378873\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T23:38:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T23:38:10","slug":"wild-rabbits-in-us-show-startling-tentacle-growths-on-their-heads-sciencealert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/378873\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Rabbits in US Show Startling ‘Tentacle’ Growths on Their Heads : ScienceAlert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wild rabbits in Colorado have been discovered with concerning horn-like growths protruding from their heads, startling people<\/a> on social media. <\/p>\n

Thankfully the condition poses no threat<\/a> to humans and other animals, with recent sightings<\/a> also having been reported in Minnesota and Nebraska.<\/p>\n

The bunnies’ ‘horns’ are a symptom of the Shope papilloma virus<\/a>, which spreads through the bites of mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. This means it’s more common in the warmer months, explaining the current increase in observations.<\/p>\n

Related: Wild Pigs Turn ‘Neon Blue’ in California, Triggering Warnings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The virus<\/a> itself was discovered in 1933 by Richard Shope, though it’s likely its bizarre effects have been inspiring accounts of the mythical jackalope<\/a> for centuries.<\/p>\n

“It’s been around forever, it’s a virus, it’s nothing new and it’s being sensationalized because people are seeing what it can do to wild rabbits,” veterinarian Laurie Hess told<\/a> Jackson Walker at Cowboy State Daily.<\/p>\n

“These rabbits look freakish but usually these [growths] are benign things, sometimes they will kind of fall off and go away.”<\/p>\n

The growths \u2013 called papillomas \u2013 are wart-like growths on the rabbit’s skin made of keratin; a protein also found in our hair and nails.<\/p>\n

Just as the related human papillomavirus<\/a> can cause cancer<\/a> in people, the Shope papilloma can develop into cancerous growths in rabbits. The disease is more likely to become malignant in domestic rabbits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Usually, the animals recover from the virus and the ‘horns’ fall off. Growths that interfere with the animal’s senses, like near its eyes<\/a> or mouth<\/a>, can cause potentially deadly problems, however, like preventing the animal from eating.<\/p>\n

\"HistoricPlate XLVII of Animalia Qvadrvpedia et Reptilia (Terra) by Joris Hoefnagel, 1575, showing a mythical “horned hare” or jackalope. (Public Domain<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Studying the Shope papilloma virus in rabbits revealed the connection between viruses and cancer<\/a>. This eventually led to the development of the HPV vaccine, which has been highly successful<\/a> in reducing cervical and oral cancer<\/a> in humans.<\/p>\n

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