Not many studies, although it seems to occur in a wide variety of habitats (Eger 2008). It occurs up to 1,800 m (Reid 2009, Solari et al. 2013). Found in lowland humid forests, deciduous forests and pine-oak, as well as pastures and even urban areas (Eisenberg 1989, Jung and Kalko 2011). These bats are known to forage in open areas above the forest canopy or in open landscapes (Jung et al. 2014).

This species is present from Jalisco and Yucatán (Mexico) south to eastern Ecuador and Peru, western Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad, western Bolivia, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina (Simmons 2005). Paraguay distribution adjusted according to Eger (2008). New record from northwestern Mexico extends the geographic range of the species (González-Terrazas et al. 2016). Not found in Costa Rica (B. Rodriguez, pers. comm). This is the restricted definition of the species after the validation of P. davisoni by Gregorin and Chiquito (2010).

Because of its large geographic distribution, this bat is found within several protected areas.