This species is a top predator with large home range, occurring in small and dispersed populations. This bat is usually found in lowland, evergreen forest, and occasionally in cloud or deciduous forest or swampy areas. It is carnivorous, eating birds and small mammals around 20 to 150 grams. Remains of birds recorded in its roosts include 18 species, some of then include motmots, doves, trogons, cuckoos, wrens, and orioles. Also, a bat (Rhogeessa sp.) was found in feces of an individual in Guatemala. This bat is often attracted to distress calls of smaller bats, and can feed on them without getting entangled (S. Solari, pers. obs.). It roosts in groups of 1 to 5 in hollow trees (including Ceiba pentandra, Mora excelsa, and Spondias mombin). Groups usually consist of an adult pair and their offspring, which hang tightly clumped together. Activity begins at dusk, after foraging for an hour or more, the group returns to the day roost for part of the night. Reproductive dates are limited, a single young appears to be born at the onset of the rainy season and is tended by both parents (McCarthy 1987, Reid 2009, Vehrencamp et al. 1977).

This species occurs throughout Veracruz (Mexico), including the Peninsula of Yucatan (McCarthy 1987, Hernández-Huerta et al. 2000), to Ecuador and Peru, Bolivia, north and southwest Brazil, and Guianas, it is also found on Trinidad (Simmons 2005).

Conservation of the species requires the preservation of large and intact forest. This species is found in several protected areas through its geographic range. In Mexico it is listed as Endangered under NOM - 059 - SEMARNAT - 2001 (Arroyo-Cabrales, pers. comm.); in Bolivia, it is considered as Vulnerable (Aguirre et al. 2009). It is very difficult to estimate rates of decline with such a widespread and rare species - thus further work is needed to measures rates of decline due to habitat loss and human disturbance.