It’s not just a bad hare day. A rapidly spreading virus is causing cottontail rabbits to grow black, tentacle-like growths out of their heads, prompting warnings to steer clear of the mutated animals.

A cottontail rabbit with Shope papilloma virus. An SPV symptom is having dark growths stemming from the infected's head and face. Depending on the location of the growths, it is a benign virus for ...

Cases of cottontail rabbit papillomavirus are causing alarming changes in Colorado's rabbits Kimberlee Speakman is a digital writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. She has also ...

There is a real virus discovered in the U.S. nearly a century ago known as the Shope papilloma virus that infects wild rabbits and causes tentacle- or horn-like growths on their skin. What's False ...

Rabbits with growths that resemble horns or tentacles have been spotted around Colorado, but wildlife officials say humans and their furry friends have little cause for concern. The animals' grotesque ...

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 ...

Rabbits with horn-like growths, sometimes called "tentacle rabbits," have recently been spotted hopping around Colorado. Their appearance is because of a virus in the animal, officials say. Residents ...