Photos shared on Facebook allegedly show fluffy white bats that “look like Pomeranians with wings.”

Verdict: False

These images are miscaptioned. They do not show real bats, but instead felt miniatures sold on Etsy. The creator of the creatures confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact that the bats shown in the image are felt creations.

Fact Check: 

COVID-resistant bats may be the key to fighting the next pandemic as the animals are able to host several potentially lethal viruses without seeming to suffer any adverse effects, according to The Guardian. Bat-borne pathogens “pose an epidemiological minefield” in 113 countries where it’s common for viruses to infect humans as well, Reuters reported.

The Facebook post allegedly shows multiple images of white-colored bats with fluffy heads and necks. In the images, the alleged bats are being held by human hands and up to three are held at once.

“These are white bats and they look like Pomeranians with wings,” the post’s caption reads.

The photos are miscaptioned, however. The bats pictured are dolls made out of wool, silk and felt, according to an Etsy listing. The Etsy user who posted the listing, Yana Fedorova, has many other felted animal replicas for sale.

Honduran white bats exist, but they have yellow noses and ears, according to the BBC. These bats are not as fluffy and do not resemble the images shown in the Facebook post. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show A Real Albino Baby Bat?)

“I’m an artist from Ukraine, and these are my works (white bats), which are made using the technique of needle felting. They are not real bats, they are miniatures,” Fedorova told Check Your Fact in a direct message on Etsy.

This is not the first time misinformation has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim a video showed an electric car fire at a U.S. warehouse.