Additionally, its brain is smaller than that of the common vampire bat, at two-thirds the size by mass.

[6] It is thought to be polyestrous, with individuals capable of becoming pregnant throughout the year and no clearly defined breeding season.

Pregnancy lasts a relatively long time considering the small body size of the species, at gestation length of approximately 5.5 months.

[5] It is generally solitary, but may be found roosting in small groups of twelve or fewer individuals.

[1] Previously thought to have not been a vector species for rabies due to exclusively feeding on bird blood, it is now a possibility that it can transmit rabies while feeding on cattle, like the common vampire bat.

It has been documented in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

This individual, a female found close to Comstock, Texas in 1967, was in an abandoned railroad tunnel.

The individual was approximately 700 km (430 mi) north of the previous documented extent of the species's range.

It meets the criteria for this designation because it has a large range, tolerates a variety of habitats, and its population is thought to be stable.