Many may have heard the name Jackalope, as it is a mythical animal of North American folklore. For years, people have searched for clues as to whether this creature is real or not. Somebody has found a real, live specimen of a Jackalope in Minnesota…or did they?
Redditor BirdWolfBelda shared on r/whatisit a couple of photos of a rabbit in their yard, worried that the poor animal has some growing bumps. It’s those bumps on that rabbit in Minnesota that have kept the legend of the Jackalope alive for years, as if it were a real species. However, it is the user Blackfish who comments on the real reason why the rabbit looks like this: “Papilloma virus. Ugh.” So, although the Jackalope exists in folklore, it is a rabbit infected by the Papillomavirus, which causes it to grow these kinds of “horns”.
However, the jackalope legend became more “real” because in 1930, hunters Douglas Herrick and his brother, with their excellent taxidermy skills, placed deer antlers on rabbits. Over time, these taxidermy works became less popular. Although on the scientific side, it is very common to see these rabbits with Papilloma virus, because it is a latent virus in the species, so they can become infected without mating. The Papilloma virus and those “horns” can be dangerous for the rabbit if they grow excessively. Thankfully, user silly_fusillysays says there is a good prognosis for infected rabbits: “I volunteer in rabbit caretaking, and I still remember when we got a bunny with syphilis. The health precautions to deal with him were very strict, still I would come home afraid I would have somehow got it. Silver lining: after a month of antibiotics, he got all better and he got adopted in no time!“
Also, it seems to be not so serious for the pets, as OP wrote “SOLVED! Thank you. My wife and I can’t get the vision of it out of our heads! Blegh! Luckily does not appear to be a concern for our pets.” This is because there are several strains of Papilloma virus, and they vary by species, so it is not a big risk for a rabbit to infect a dog or cat.
