Mutant Rabbits Sprouting Tentacles from Their Heads in Colorado: Here's What's Responsible
This natural phenomenon may raise the hare on the back of your neck.
An increasing number of rabbits in the northern portion of Colorado are being spotted with grotesque, tentacle-like horns sprouting from their faces.
But the animals are actually expected to be fine.
As officials reassured the Scientific American on Thursday, the rabbits are infected with Shope papillomavirus, a relatively common ailment.
But don’t worry. The condition is unlikely to hop over to our species, as Shope papillomavirus is only known to impact rabbits and hares.
Kara Van Hoose, a spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the Scientific American that they “are able to clear it from their system on their own.”
Freaky ‘Frankenstein’ rabbits have been spotted in these 2 states: ‘They’re all over here’ https://t.co/AJYJWWgAi5 pic.twitter.com/WWr6CmhGU2
— New York Post (@nypost) August 15, 2025
At that point, the tentacle horns simply fall away.
In a minority of cases, the condition could induce cancers in the rabbits, while inconveniently located tentacles could cause difficulties with eating.
Many residents are calling Colorado Parks and Wildlife to report sightings of the sick rabbits, but it’s uncertain how many infected animals are actually out there.
“It’s also difficult to say, if we get 10 reports, if it’s 10 different rabbits or if it’s two rabbits that maybe we’re seeing five different times,” Van Hoose noted.
The unlucky creatures have earned some not-so-flattering nicknames, such as “Frankenstein bunnies” and “zombie rabbits,” according to the Associated Press.
Experts are sounding the alarm over a fast-spreading virus called cottontail papillomavirus, which causes wild rabbits to grow tentacle-like growths from their heads — and it could infect your pet bunny at home. pic.twitter.com/sgSIOJ8n4S
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 14, 2025
The virus itself has been around for a while, however.
The outlet noted that it has even been present in the western United States for enough time to inspire ancient folklore.
Among the tales may have been the legend of the jackalope.
It’s most common to see the infected rabbits in the summertime, when fleas and ticks spread the virus.
That means as the warm weather disappears, the tentacle horns will mostly disappear with it.
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