The lesser false vampire bat is a forest bat with a large noseleaf and large ears. It is nocturnal and eats insects and small animals, but does not drink blood.
It has a large, upright noseleaf and large ears joined at their bases. Its tail is not visible.
A 2024 survey of lesser false vampire bats took place on Pulau Aweng, a small island in Batam City, Indonesia. Researchers checked four abandoned earthen charcoal kilns. The semicircular structures resembled small caves, and bats were found roosting in three of the four kilns. The site offered a rare close look at how this species used an existing structure on a small island.
The largest group recorded in one kiln contained six bats, while the smallest contained one. The authors identified darkness, the indoor microclimate and shelter from weather as features associated with the roosts. Bats left to forage at night and returned to the same kiln the following day.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
On Pulau Aweng, three of four abandoned charcoal kilns were used by lesser false vampire bats, with up to six observed in one structure. The authors associated roost use with darkness, the interior microclimate and protection from weather and disturbance. The survey documents how an unused human-made structure can serve as a local roost.