[2] The tongue of lesser long-nosed bats has a number of adaptations for lapping nectar, including long ridges and rough, conical papillae,[3] which may also help protect against periodontal disease by scraping the teeth clean.

They are more easily confused with their close relatives, the greater long-nosed bats, but, in addition to being about 10% larger, the latter have shorter, greyish fur, and proportionately longer wings.

However, they are only found as summer migrants in the United States and, more generally, north of the mid-Sonora, arriving in these regions between April and July, and migrating south again in September.

[7] They are found year-round in the western and southern parts of Mexico, and along the east coast, and in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

[2] Lesser long-nosed bats roost during the day in large colonies of up to several thousand individuals in caves or abandoned mines, dispersing at night to feed.

[2] The breeding season lasts from November to December for bats that migrate northward during the summer, but from May to June in those that give birth in the south.

Gestation lasts about six months, and results in the birth of a single pup, during the time of local peak flower availability.