The long-lost Omiltemi cottontail has been spotted on camera after more than a century, sparking hope for its conservation.

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.

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, ...

Haupt is a health and wellness editor at TIME. A cottontail rabbit in Minnesota with the papillomavirus. A cottontail rabbit in Minnesota with the papillomavirus.Michael Siluk/Universal Images ...

Is Halloween coming early? The reports of "rabbits with tenticles" seemingly support this. Cottontail rabbits with horn-like growths on their heads have appeared in Colorado, sparking concern over ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...

Since 1904, the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit has been lost to science. But recently, it has been rediscovered in Mexico's Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. The elusive animal was spotted on camera traps ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Rabbits with growths that resemble horns or tentacles have been spotted around Colorado, but wildlife officials say humans and ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...