[2] Sanborn's species is one of the smaller bonneted bats, measuring around 10 cm (3.9 in) in total length, including the tail, and weighing 13 to 17 g (0.46 to 0.60 oz).

They have rich blackish-brown fur, which is paler on the belly, and which allows it to be distinguished from the similarly sized, but more lightly coloured, dwarf bonneted bats that live in the same general area.

As with other molossid bats, the tail extends beyond the margin of the wing membranes, and, in this species, is typically about 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) in length.

[3] Sanborn's bonneted bat is patchily distributed across Central America, and is also found in the southernmost tip of Mexico.

[3] Sanborn's bonneted bats eat Orthopterans and other insects,[3] which they catch while flying in the upper levels of the forest canopy.