Rabbit-cow Hybrids?

Mammalian Hybrids

EUGENE M. MCCARTHY, PHD GENETICS, ΦΒΚ

Cottonwood, Idaho, early 1900s

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Caution: Though repeatedly reported, the occurrence of this distant cross has not been confirmed via the genetic testing of an actual specimen.

Although they sound like fairy-tale creatures, rabbit-cow hybrids and hare-cow hybrids, have in fact been described in the nonfictional context of serious news reports. Some were even described as living animals that promised to reach maturity.

Thus, the following article about an ostensible rabbit-cow hybrid appeared in the Cottonwood, Idaho, newspaper Camas Prairie Chronicle, (Feb. 26, 1904, p. 1, cols. 5 & 6):

CALF WITH A RABBIT HEAD

A large crowd of people viewed a freak of nature here [i.e., in Cottonwood, Idaho] Saturday in the shape of a one-legged calf with a head like a rabbit^† which one of the Denham boys was taking home to his farm near Keuterville. The calf, which was born in a pasture near here, had one perfect hind leg and two short front legs, each about 5 or 6 inches long. One had a small foot resembling a rabbit foot and the other had neither foot nor hoof.^§ The calf’s nose was round and the lips full making its head resemble that of a rabbit much more than that of a calf. It looked quite strong in spite of its odd condition and with proper care might live to occupy a place in a freak museum.

† At the present day, it seems only three lagomorphs occur in the vicinity of Cottonwood: the Mountain Cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii), the Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) and the White-tailed Jackrabbit (L. townsendii).

§ Stump appendages, and appendages that are entirely absent, seem to occur at elevated rates in the progeny of distant crosses, no doubt due to developmental conflicts resulting from the random combination of highly disparate genomes.

The following report, which originated with the Fayette County Record, a newspaper published in the town of Washington Court House, Ohio, is here taken from the Hillsboro, Ohio, News-Herald (Aug. 18, 1901, p. 1, col. 2; ||y6m7rf66 ):

A RABBIT CALF

Mr. Otis Boncutter, living out the Columbus Pike, has a cow that on August 3 gave birth to a freak calf, which he says is perfectly developed in every way with the exception that it has no tail, the end of the backbone stopping near the middle of the back, where the ips are joined on, without any part of a tail bone or stub. It has curved hind legs, is a female, is very pert and hearty, and is of a very wild nature. It leaves its mother after nursing and hides in the weeds. It has the actions of a rabbit in way of travel, can walk very little and gets around by hopping. Fayette County Record.

There are two lagomorphs native to Ohio the Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus and the Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus. Since the latter does not occur in Fayette County, the former would be the parent implicated, if the animal described in report just quoted does represent a cow-rabbit hybrid.

From the Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, Columbian (Apr. 4, 1901, p. 4, col. 3):

Frank Myers, of Nescopeck,^‡ is the possessor of a freak in the shape of an animal, and since the creature came into the world, about three weeks ago, his barn has been visited by hundreds who desire to look at the monstrosity. It is a calf, the offspring of a full blood Alderney cow. The one and only leg is where the hind legs should be. It has a short stub tail, similar to that of a rabbit, and when standing resembles a kangaroo. Notwithstanding its many and unusual deformities it is full of life, and gets about easily, if not as quickly as though it possessed four legs. Mr. Myers has refused an offer of fifty dollars for it. It is his intention to exhibit it at the county fairs the coming fall.

‡ Nescopeck is a farming community in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,100 as of the 1900 census.

From the St. Albans, Vermont, Messenger (May 2, 1907, p. 2, col. 1):

J. N. Thompson, of Manchester, has a freak calf. Its two forelegs are curved in toward the body and the animal rests on its hind legs the same as a rabbit does. It is also minus a tail.

Another report about a rabbit-cow hybrid appeared in the Troy, Missouri, Herald (Jul. 30, 1873, p. 5, col. 1):

A What is it.—A cow belonging to Capt. Colbert gave birth last Thursday night to a monstrosity. It was a red calf fully matured, but of a most singular malformation. The head is large, face prominent and rounding from forehead to tip of nose, presenting in general view the appearance of that of a rabbit, as does in fact the whole body. Its length from forehead to tail is fifteen inches. The spine at the shoulders is considerably elevated. The caudal spine is closely bent back upon the lumbar and measures only half an inch in length. The ears are set far back, and the head rests closely upon the shoulders. The legs are small, scarcely an inch in diameter, the fore ones being very short. The hoofs are not cleft. It was evidently born alive, but was dead when found.

The following is from an Australian newspaper, The Gosford Times and Wyong District Advocate (Oct. 5, 1922, p. 13):

EXTRAORDINARY FREAK

An extraordinary freak was seen in Windsor [a town northwest of Sydney, New South Wales] last week from the property of Mr. S. Marker, of Magrath’s Hill. It was a calf that one of his cows had dropped. The little animal had the body, hair and feet of a bovine, but the head was that of a hare and the teeth and upper lip those of a foal, while it had a rabbit’s tail. It had no nostrils, and the two eyes were set close together in the centre of the forehead, protruding in a sort of a bull’s eye setting. One of the hind legs was turned the wrong way. The thing was alive when Mr. Marker found it in the paddock, but. it did not live long.

In this last-quoted case, the close-set positioning of the eyes may represent a mild form of cyclopia. The incidence of cyclopia seems to be elevated in distant hybrids, as is the misplacement of appendages.

Another such report appeared on page 5, column 3, of the November 23, 1911, issue of the Austro-Hungarian newspaper Linzer Volksblatt:

Calf and Rabbit in One. On a farm in Summerau,^* known as Pfarre Rainbach bei Freistadt, a cow recently gave birth. And therewith a remarkable double being entered the world: The front half of this animal is that of a calf, the rear, that of a hare [the German word used, Hase, means “hare,” but in informal speech it can also mean rabbit]. If this beast steps forward with its forefoot, the rear half hops after. Also, the tail is exactly like a hare’s. This monster is already now 14 days old, so it’s completely viable. [Translated by E. M. McCarthy. Original German.]

* Summerau is a village in northernmost Austria.

It might seem impossible for a hare or rabbit even to mate with a cow, let alone produce a hybrid, but when cows are lying down various small animals, small dogs for example, have been observed in coitu with them. A video of such an encounter is shown at right.

Article continues below

A news notice about a rabbit and a cow who were close companions. Screenshot from page 3, column 5, of the May 7, 1909, issue of the Omaha Daily Bee, a newspaper published in Omaha, Nebraska (source).

And a brief notice about an ostensible rabbit-cow hybrid appeared on page 11, bottom of column 2, of the October 26, 1914, issue of The Washington Herald, a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. (source):

Calf Has Rabbit’s Tail

Bedford, Ind., Oct 25.—William Wilson, a farmer, is the possessor of a freak calf. The animal, apparently healthy, is unable to walk, its movements being restricted to an erratic jumping motion. It was born without a tail, the nearest approach to such an appendage being a hairy growth, similar in form and size to that displayed by the rabbit. Hundreds of people have been attracted to the Wilson farm by reports of the calf’s peculiarities.

The following appeared on page 3, column 3, of the May 17, 1871, issue of the Cazenovia Republican, a newspaper published in Cazenovia, New York (source):

Amos Sweetland, of Whitney’s Point, is the owner of a cow which has given birth to a calf without any tail, or any place for one. It imitates a rabbit in the manner of getting along—hopping instead of walking. It is now nearly three weeks old, and is otherwise a perfect, hearty, healthy calf.

There are also old reports about the occurrence of a related cross, sheep × hare.

Internet citations >>

Biology Dictionary >>

By the same author: Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World, Oxford University Press (2006).

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