You've probably seen them hanging on the walls of dusty Wyoming truck stops or printed on kitschy postcards in South Dakota. A jackrabbit with the elegant, sweeping antlers of a pronghorn or a deer. It's the jackalope. For decades, it’s been the holy grail of American tall tales, a creature that supposedly only mates during lightning storms and can be lured out of hiding with a bowl of whiskey.
But here is the thing.
When people talk about seeing a jackalope in the wild, they aren't always just seeing a taxidermy prank or a trick of the light at dusk. They are often looking at a very real, very grim biological phenomenon.
The "real" jackalope isn't a hybrid. It's a victim.
The Shope Papilloma Virus: Nature’s Horn Maker
The legend didn't just spring out of nowhere in Douglas, Wyoming, back in the 1930s. Long before Douglas Herrick and his brother decided to graft deer antlers onto a rabbit carcass, sightings of "horned hares" existed in European folklore and scientific texts dating back to the 16th century.
What those early naturalists were actually witnessing was the Shope papilloma virus (SPV).
Named after Dr. Richard Shope, who identified the virus in the 1930s, this is a type of rabbit-specific papillomavirus. It causes hard, keratinous tumors to grow out of a rabbit's head and neck. These aren't soft warts. They are calcified, jagged, and—honestly—they look exactly like horns.
Imagine a cottontail rabbit hopping through a field. Now imagine it has black, twisted protrusions growing from its forehead. From fifty yards away at sunset, you'd swear you just saw a mythical beast.
It’s a bit of a tragedy, though. While the "horns" look cool in a folklore sense, they are often a death sentence for the animal. The tumors can grow so large or in such awkward positions that the rabbit can no longer eat. Eventually, the animal starves.
Why the Myth Persists in the American West
The American West loves a good yarn. It’s part of the DNA of places like Casper or Rapid City. When the Herrick brothers first "created" the jackalope by mounting antlers on a rabbit in 1932, they tapped into an existing tradition of taxidermy jokes.
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But why did it stick?
Because people kept reporting sightings of a jackalope in the wild.
Most of these sightings come from the Great Plains and the Southwest. These are regions where the Sylvilagus (cottontail) and Lepus (jackrabbit) populations are dense. In these high-density populations, viruses spread like wildfire. A single infected rabbit can lead to a localized "outbreak" of jackalopes.
It’s not just a trick of the eye. It's a localized epidemic.
The Science of Keratinous Carcinomas
Let’s get technical for a second, because the biology is actually more fascinating than the myth.
The tumors caused by SPV are made of keratin. That’s the same protein in your fingernails and hair. In a healthy rabbit, keratin production is regulated. The virus hijacks the rabbit's cellular machinery, forcing it to overproduce keratin in specific spots.
- The virus enters through a small cut or insect bite.
- It infects the basal cells of the skin.
- As the cells replicate, they form a "horn."
These horns can be straight, curved, or even branch out like antlers. It’s a perfect storm of biological coincidence. If the tumor grows on the top of the head, it mimics a buck. If it grows on the jaw, it looks like a goatee.
Interestingly, Richard Shope’s work on these "horned rabbits" actually paved the way for modern cancer research. He realized that a virus could cause a tumor, a concept that was revolutionary at the time. This eventually led to the discovery of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the development of vaccines that prevent certain types of cancer in humans today.
So, in a weird way, the jackalope saved lives.
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Distinctive Features of a "True" Sighting
If you think you've spotted a jackalope in the wild, there are a few ways to tell if you're looking at an SPV-infected rabbit or just a very confusing shadow.
- The Horn Texture: Real antlers have a specific bone-like texture with velvet or smooth ridges. SPV tumors are usually dark, rough, and look more like charred wood or clumped dirt.
- Symmetry: Nature loves symmetry in antlers. Viruses do not. An infected rabbit usually has "horns" that are lopsided or growing at strange angles from the side of the face.
- Behavior: A rabbit with advanced SPV is often lethargic. It isn't the fast-moving, whiskey-drinking trickster of legend. It's an animal struggling with a massive physical burden.
The Cultural Impact of the Horned Hare
We can't talk about the jackalope without talking about Douglas, Wyoming. This town has basically claimed the creature as its primary export. They issue "Jackalope Hunting Licenses" (valid only on June 31st, a day that doesn't exist).
It's a lifestyle.
But it’s also a warning about how we interpret the natural world. Humans are wired to find patterns. We see a rabbit with weird growths, and we don't think "viral infection," we think "new species."
We want the world to be more magical than it is.
Even President Ronald Reagan reportedly kept a jackalope head at his ranch, famously telling visitors he had caught it himself. It’s the ultimate "insider" joke of the American frontier.
But the reality of seeing a jackalope in the wild is much more grounded in the harshness of nature. It’s a reminder that wildlife is often dealing with pathogens and struggles that we overlook in favor of a good story.
Where You Might Actually See One
If you are determined to find an infected rabbit—the biological jackalope—you need to look where the host species thrive.
- The High Desert: Areas with sparse vegetation make it easier to spot rabbits from a distance.
- Farm Perimeters: Rabbits congregate near crops, increasing the chance of viral transmission between individuals.
- Dusk and Dawn: This is when rabbits are most active. The low light also happens to be when the human brain is most likely to fill in the gaps and turn a tumor into a majestic antler.
Honestly, though? You probably won't see one. They are rare. The virus doesn't hit every population, and the rabbits that do get it don't last long. Predators like coyotes and hawks find it much easier to catch a rabbit that has a pound of keratin weighing down its head.
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Myths vs. Reality: A Quick Guide
The stories say jackalopes can mimic human voices. They supposedly sing along with cowboys at campfires. They can only be caught if you use milk as bait.
The reality? They are just rabbits.
They don't sing. They don't drink whiskey. And they certainly don't have the skeletal structure to support actual bone antlers. A rabbit's skull is thin. If it actually grew heavy deer antlers, its neck would snap.
The jackalope in the wild is a fascinating intersection of folklore, taxidermy, and virology. It represents our desire to believe in the impossible while standing right in front of a biological explanation.
Actionable Insights for Wildlife Enthusiasts
If you happen to come across a rabbit that looks like a jackalope while you're out hiking or exploring the West, here is how you should handle it.
- Keep Your Distance: While the Shope papilloma virus isn't known to infect humans, you should never handle a sick animal.
- Document and Report: Take a photo if you can. Local fish and wildlife departments often track outbreaks of SPV to monitor the health of the rabbit population.
- Check for Ticks: SPV is often spread by ticks and mosquitoes. If you're in an area where "jackalopes" have been spotted, make sure you're using proper bug spray and doing tick checks on yourself and your pets.
- Respect the Legend: There’s no harm in enjoying the kitsch. Buy the postcard. Get the "hunting license." Just know the difference between the joke on the wall and the animal in the brush.
The next time someone tells you they saw a jackalope in the wild, you can be the person who explains the Shope papilloma virus. You might ruin the magic for a second, but the real story—the one involving 16th-century naturalists and the precursors to the HPV vaccine—is arguably much cooler than a rabbit with deer ears.
Understanding the "why" behind the myth doesn't make the American West any less wild. It just makes the wildlife a lot more interesting.
Next Steps for the Curious
- Research Local Folklore: Check out the "Jackalope Capital of the World" in Douglas, Wyoming, to see the history of the Herrick brothers.
- Study Viral Evolution: Look into the work of Richard Shope if you’re interested in how animal viruses have historically influenced human medicine.
- Volunteer with Wildlife: Contact local wildlife rehabilitators to learn more about the common diseases affecting lagomorphs in your specific region.