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The unsightly bunnies are infected with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus, which can cause growths that resemble warts or tentacles.
By Hannah Ziegler
With black spikes growing on their heads, tentacles protruding from their mouths and sluglike growths blocking their eyes, several rabbits hopping around Colorado this week have invited social media comparison to nightmarish mutants.
But local residents and pet owners shouldn’t fear the unsightly creatures munching on grass in their backyards: The bunnies are simply infected with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus, a mostly benign infection that can’t spread to other species, said Kara Van Hoose, a spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
