This small free-tailed bat ranges across mainland Africa and Yemen. Many are blackish brown, and males have a forehead crest.
Most have blackish-brown fur, with pale tan to white hairs on the underside where the body meets the wings. The ears are rounded and large for the head; males have a forehead crest. Fur color varies geographically.
It roosts in tree hollows and crevices, leaves at dusk to hunt, and returns after feeding. Adults eat insects.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.