You may have seen some haunting photos online of bunny rabbits from Colorado.
Although they can look terrifying — with what seem like tentacles growing from their faces — the condition is actually neither especially dangerous nor very common.
One study examined 1,395 cottontail rabbit specimens and identified 20 rabbits showing signs consistent with the virus.
Sylvilagus floridanus papillomavirus (don’t worry, nobody says it quickly) is a virus that causes excessive keratin growth, usually around the head and face. It’s highly contagious among rabbits, but poses no threat to humans or domestic pets.
To ease any fears further: this virus is found mainly in the American Midwest, and in over 30% of cases the growths will regress naturally and the rabbit will return to normal.
This virus has been around for quite some time, the oldest confirmed case dates back to 1915.
This isn’t nature’s only strange and fascinating infection.
One worth mentioning is Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease. This might take the cake for strange just based on what it is: a contagious cancer that spreads between Tasmanian devils through biting. It’s not caused by a virus or bacteria, the tumor cells themselves are the infectious agent.
What makes it even more interesting is that the tumor cells are genetic clones of the original devil that had the disease.
This condition nearly brought the Tasmanian devil to extinction, with mortality rates reaching almost 100% in some regions.