Rabbits with tentacles invade Colorado

Rabbits with tentacles around the face are spotted in Colorado, US, becoming a cause of great concern for the locals. According to wildlife officials and the University of Missouri, these creatures are called cottontail rabbit papillomavirus.

The circulating news is not just rumours; it is a documented phenomenon that often takes place in rabbits. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) confirmed that this virus is not contagious to wildlife animals, dogs and humans.

The tentacles only become a problem for rabbits if they grow over the animal’s mouth or eyes, which affects the ability to see or eat.

KUSA (9News), a television channel in Colorado, recorded a statement from a nearby resident. Susan Mansfield said, “It looks like it was black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth.”

“I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn’t. He came back a second year, and it grew,” Susan added.

Photographs taken by the local appear to be dark tentacles bulging out of skin. These growth looks so strange that they are compared with the writer H.P. Lovecraft’s monsters.

The cottontail papilloma virus is also an inspiration behind the “jackalope” myth, a fictional story that includes deer and rabbits with antlers.

Tentacles, quills, or horns are transmitted in rabbits by incest bite, particularly ticks or mosquitoes. There is no cure available right now. In most cases, the immune system of the rabbit fights off the virus.

Medical experts have already warned pet owners to keep their animals away from pests. The tentacles caused by this virus are benign tumours and not cancerous. 

They may or may not be removed surgically, depending on the severity and location.

What are tentacles in biology?

Tentacles are long and flexible organs found in animals, especially found in invertebrates.