Turns Out The Jackelope Is Real … Sort Of

This is no joke. A report came over the wire this morning and was almost unbelievable.

Apparently, people in northern Colorado are reporting horned rabbits.

Residents in some parts of the state have taken photos recently of wild rabbits that appear to have black horns and tentacles growing out of their heads.

A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the horn-like growths are the result of a benign virus commonly referred to as SPV, which will sometimes affect rabbits in parts of the central U.S. during the summer months.

They say there's no risk of the virus spreading to humans or other animals, though they recommend you avoid contact with horned rabbits.

The culprit is a virus called Shope papillomavirus, or SPV, first discovered in the 1930s after hunters in Iowa reported so-called “horned” rabbits. These growths, which look like twisted horns or tentacles, are actually made of keratin — the same protein in hair and nails.

Dr. Karen Lewis, a wildlife pathologist, explains: “In most cases, these growths stay small. But in severe infections, they can grow so large that the rabbit can’t eat. And in about 25 percent of cases, the virus turns cancerous, spreading to the lungs and other organs.”

SPV isn’t just an oddity of nature. It played a critical role in science. Research on this virus helped scientists understand how viruses cause cancer, and even contributed to the development of the human HPV vaccine.

So how does it spread? Mainly through rabbit ticks, targeting the head, ears, and neck. Most infected rabbits survive, but some are doomed by the grotesque growths.

From inspiring jackalope folklore to advancing medical research, this virus proves that sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction.

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