This species is found in a wide range of habitats, including lowland tropical moist forest, riverine forest, swamp forest, mangroves, palm forest, forested patches in savannah areas. This bat has a lek mating system at many locations, but not at all known sites (e.g. at Tai National Park, Côte d'Ivoire). The males gather into groups (leks) of a few hundred animals and attempt to attract females. The species roosts 20 to 30 metres up in the forest canopy (Bradbury 1977), usually on exposed branches beneath a cover of dense vegetation. The diet is primarily figs and other fruit, including cultivated crops.The species has been recorded to use artificial building roost (I. Tanshi, unpubl. data), and a botanical garden in Accra (J. Fahr, unpubl. data).

This species distribution is centred on the equator in West and Central Africa, extending marginally to East Africa. Its westernmost range is in Guinea-Bissau, reaching western Ethiopia and Kenya in the East and its southernmost range in northwestern Angola. It has been recorded at high elevations up to 1,800 m asl.

The species is not under any direct conservation programs. It is however known from some protected areas including Tai National Park (Côte d'Ivoire), Okomu National Park (Nigeria) and Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (Nigeria), Atewa Forest Reserve (Ghana) and several others across its range.