As weird and concerning as they appear, the virus that causes the dark, wart-like horns or tentacles to grow on cottontail rabbits is relatively common and usually not anything to worry about.

Viral photos have inspired a fluffle of unflattering nicknames, including "Frankenstein bunnies," "demon rabbits" and "zombie rabbits."

Though the strange growths on these animals may look intimidating, experts say there’s not much to worry about, and they're caused by a fairly common virus