The Barapede cave is located on a lateritic  plateau above a moist deciduous, semi evergreen forested valley at 800 m with high humidity inside (Alfred et al. 2006) (Prabhukhanolkar, pers. comm. 2015). The bats were found to live in small groups of 2 to 15 individuals both sexes in crevices throughout the cave (Bates and Harrison 1997, Alfred et al. 2006). 

Few larger groups of 20-35 individuals are regularly observed in relatively bigger avens  in the ceiling at Barapede cave. Few time bats are observed inside the Barapede cave till 9.00 PM in the evening (Prabhukhanolkar  pers. comm. 2015).

The cave where a specimen was captured in north-east India is likewise situated on the edge of a plateau at 170 m Asl in a tropical semi-evergreen forest and near cultivated areas (Thabah and Bates 2002). The three recently discovered  roosting sites are  limestone caves in the Jaintia hills of southeastern Meghalaya, India. Ruedi et al. (2014) has observed  larger aggregations (12–70 individuals) of bats in relatively large cupola (avens) in the ceiling, while smaller groups (3–8 individuals) roosting in narrower crevices of the ceiling.

Walston and Bates (2001) report a single bat captured in lowland degraded mixed deciduous forest (nearby one of the few semi-evergreen patches in the area) at 140 m Asl in Cambodia.

This species is known from six disjunct sites in India and Cambodia. In India, the species has been recorded from the type locality of Barapede Cave near Talewadi, Belagavi district, in Karnataka (Bates and Harrison 1997), and more recently from Phrang Karuh Cave, near Nongtrai village, Shella confederacy, Meghalaya (Thabah and Bates 2002) and from three caves in southeastern Mehgalaya in Jaintia hills located near the villages of Pynurkba, near village of Umlatdoh, and a third cave near village of Thangsah (Ruedi et al. 2014).

In Cambodia, it is known only from a recent collection in Chhep District, Preah Vihear Province (Walston and Bates 2001). There is another unpublished putative second record from Cambodia, a photograph of a dead specimen from Bahon temple (Bates and Fahr pers. comm. 2015).

The The Brapede cave is part of the core zone of the recently notified Bhimgad sanctuary, in Karnataka, India. (Prabhukhanolkar pers. comm. 2015)  In Meghalaya (Northeast India) One of the three recently found major cave roost  near Jaintia hills  has received official protection and also has strong support from the villagers owning the cave and surrounding remnant of forest (Mukhim and Ruedi pers. comm. 2014).

The species is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act amended 2006 (Molur pers. comm. 2008). This species has been proposed to receive the highest level of protection under Cambodian wildlife law (Walston and Bates 2001). Further extensive  survey work to determine population numbers and range is required for this species. Also genetic evaluation of all known populations of this species and other Otomops would lead to a better understanding of their taxonomy, distribution and ecology.