The jackalope is a legendary animal described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns on its head. The legend of the rare but nasty creature native to the Midwestern U.S. originated with the cowboys of Wyoming. The true jackalope is a humorous myth. A mounted jackalope is a common souvenir easily manufactured by taxidermists by attaching deer antlers to a hare�s head. Picture postcards of jackalopes are also widespread at gift shops throughout the American west. Curiously, this piece of folklore has a genuine scientific explanation. There really are actual specimens of rabbits with horny growths on their heads. These are not true �horns� but abnormal growths that may be caused by a virus (called Papillomavirus, it is common in cottontail rabbits and is similar to a human version that causes warts.) The legend of the horned rabbit is also part of other cultures. Bavarian folklore (now Germany) has it�s own tale of a stag-deer called the �raurackl�. Researchers suspect that the stories of these creatures around Europe and Asia resulted from sightings of viral-infected rabbits.
- Sharon Hill (Scientist) |
Prof. Chuck Holliday's at Lafayette College: ��
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