Good morning guys and gals, I have a question... So, I was at the neighbor's, shooting some nuisance rabbits for them. I just shot one in the neck with my .22, and when I bent over to observe the bullet hole, I noticed something pulsating in it's neck, right where I shot it. I took a video, but it's going to take me a while to upload it to YouTube and all that, so I can't post it now. But anyway, this thing finally plopped out of the rabbits neck and onto the ground, where I got a picture of it. I'll post the picture in a minute or two. The worm thing is about two inches long and an inch and a half wide

What is that thing? Also, while I was typing this post, I had to get up hill a ways so I could get reception. When I came back to the rabbit, the worm was gone. I had thought it had died or something, once it popped out of the rabbit, but apparently it was able to crawl away while I was gone

Bot fly larva?

Yeah that could be it, but do they get that big?

You just put breakfast on hold for a bit!

Well, I looked it up and yes it looks like it is a botfly larva. I didn't know they got that big

Yes...

Bird likely took it....

That was my thought too.

Thanks for the replies guys. I've seen botfly eggs on horses before, but I've never seen a real botfly larva. Now I know what they look like Thanks guys!

That is why we only eat rabbits in months with an R in them, lol.
The cold kills the bots.

We call them worbbles in the larvae stage around here

Yeah no kidding!! It also kills tularemia

Nice, yeah we call 'em bots

Had them get on a couple kittens necks over the years. I noticed the holes and attempted to Dr them then the larvi head came out an retracted. 2 times a few years apart same thing. I would get the larva removed and hole disinfected and the kitten would be dead in about 2 or 3 days anyway.

Starred wondering if removing the larva made it release something toxic that killed them.

Dang Bots, they’re everywhere. Had one pulled out of our Yorkie once and it wasn’t a pretty sight .

The cold has zero effect. I've had them crawl out of rabbits we shot when the temperatures were in the teens.

I know, old wives tale.

Ah ! I missed the "lol" part. But some folks still swear by it.

I see them in gray squirrels too

Oh. Does the first frost actually take care of the rabbits with tularemia, or is that a wives' tale too?

Seen them in grey squirrels in southern Ohio, but not in the northeast.
But seen cows have them bad in the northeast of Ohio.
Farmer would use his thumb and press them out.
I was just a kid, but never forgot it!
Had them in kittens, their face would swell up from them.
Don't remember the out come of them.

Seen the same thing in Roos and sheep here

Their larvae is called "wolves" around here.

Search bot flies on YouTube and you can see some in people and animals alike. Almost all rabbits and squirrels around here have them.

We get cases like that at work. Nothing more satisfying than taking one out of a little puppy or kitten that has been dealing with that.

That's why we don't eat rodents out here in the west

It is. The internal conditions of the host remain constant regardless of the external conditions.
In other words, buddy, as long as the rabbit is otherwise healthy, makes no difference to the parasite . Kill the rabbit ? And it’s no longer a good environment for the parasite.

Check out mango worms on dogs. You think this is disgusting? Hundreds are on these poor animals.

Nightmare fuel .

That is what we call them in Western NC.