In what sounds like something from a fantasy novel or a science-fiction movie, residents in parts of Fort Collins, Colorado, have reported sightings of rabbits with bizarre, tentacle-like growths on their heads and faces. Photos circulating on social media have sparked alarm and a mix of curiosity and concern among locals. However, what might seem like a new species or a cryptid has a surprisingly biological explanation.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), these strange growths are the result of a viral infection known as Shope papillomavirus (SPV), also called cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV). The virus causes benign, wart-like tumors, or papillomas, to grow on a rabbit's body, most commonly around the head and mouth. As these tumors grow, they can become elongated and keratinous, taking on a horn or quill-like appearance that some observers have described as "tentacles."

One resident in Fort Collins, Susan Mansfield, vividly described a rabbit she saw with "black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth." Another observer described the animal as having a "scabbiesh-looking growth." While the sight is undoubtedly unsettling, CPW officials emphasize that the condition is not dangerous to humans, pets, or other wildlife. The virus is specific to rabbits and is spread primarily through biting insects like fleas and ticks.

The virus itself, while visually disturbing, doesn't usually harm the rabbit unless the growths obstruct its eyes or mouth, interfering with its ability to see or eat. There is no known cure for the virus in wild rabbits, but CPW notes that many infected cottontails can survive the viral infection, and the growths may eventually go away on their own.

Officials are urging the public to give these rabbits their space and to avoid attempting to touch or "help" them. The heightened number of sightings in the Fort Collins area is likely due to the season, as the virus spreads more readily during warmer months when biting insects are more active.

Interestingly, this condition may have a connection to American folklore. Some researchers and folklorists believe that sightings of rabbits with these antler-like growths could have been the inspiration for the legend of the "jackalope," a mythical creature described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. While the modern sightings are far less fantastical than the jackalope legend, they serve as a stark reminder of the fascinating and sometimes eerie realities of the natural world.