Freak o' the week!

[McGurk]

I've seen some rabbits in the yard with some odd growths, and last night got a some shots of the worst I've seen yet. The growths are semi-rigid as they flop around when it moves, and don't seem to affect it's movement and eating patterns. I watched it for some time and didn't see any unusual rabbit activity due to it that I could tell. Anyone have an idea of what this might be?

THis last shot is one from about 2 months ago, but it's still prominent.

[BigWadeS]

HOLY, Jack-a-lope, they do exist!

[pikehunter78]

This might be worth a call into your local conservation officer. I'm sure the DNR would be interested if it's a disease or something. I grew up in the country and have see thousands of rabbits, nothing like this though.... Strange!

[Black_Bay]

I saw this many moons ago on a rabbit in my parents yard. It's caused by rabbit pappiloma or fibroma tumors.

[Sandmannd]

You could also check with the wildlife rescue in Roseville. They may want to trap it and take a look.

[Jameson]

I see a rabbit looking just like that in my Ma's yard all the time. I had figured it had grown a third "dead" ear. Freakish!

[normy]

I've lived at two different houses in Rosemount over the last 8 years and at both places I've seen several of these same looking rabbits. I've mentioned to my neighbors to see if anyone else had seen them and the answer was always NO! (and you might want to lay off the barley pops) Nice to finally see I'm not nuts. Well thats still debatable!

[g_anoka]

I can believe there are rabbits like that in Rosemount, with the Koch Refinery,the U of M site, the landfill, and everything else in that area.

[Soysquad]

I live in Highland Park in St. Paul, and there are a bunch or rabbits like that around here also. At first just one last year, and now it seems like all the rabbits on our block have it.

[GreyGoose]

IT'S A MONSTER!!!! KILL IT!!!!

[polarsusd81]

My brother had a pet rabbit that had a growth very similar to it on its head. It wasn't anything to worry about. The parents brought it to the vet and there was a medicine for it, but the cost outweighed the benefit.

[Walleye Guy]

By my calculations that ones scores 47" Boone & Crockett.

[blugold]

It's funny you mention this. Because I used to live in Eagan, MN and was out running one night and came across this rabbit that looked like this. At first I thought it had like 4 ears! At the time I was taking a Microbiology class at the U of M. Low and Behold the professor popped up a picture of one of these rabbits!! It is indeed a papilloma virus....basically it is warts!

[andrew chadwick]

Ive never seen a male jackalope, but I see the females all the time...

[The Grebe]

I've seen rabbits like that since I was a kid, over 50 years ago. We used to hunt cottontails along the railroad tracks with our bows and we would see them every now and then, but now it seems like at least 50% of the urban and suburban rabbits I see, have horns.

CO's used to tell us not to touch em cause we could get sick, the condition does have a name, at least I have been told that, but I don't recall what it is, it's not 'Jack-a-lope' syndromn.

It has been my belief that alot of it comes from the rabbits eating chemically treated grass etc. Kinda like the frogs having 6 legs and a couple of heads.

It sure looks nasty, that I know! Years ago this one fella I worked with wanted to cook up some rabbits and asked me if I could get him some. We worked at a grain elevator and there were all kinds of rabbits around so I told him I'd get him some. I set a half dozen snares and got 4 rabbits, each had those horns and that ended my having anything to do with anymore rabbits.

[blakjack23]

Thanks for posting this Mcgurk. I have one in my backyard and I have been wondering what the heck was wrong with it. Now I have some answers.

[DonBo]

We have lot's of these around our place in East Metro. Heard years ago it is only matted hair, caused somehow by over crowding.