It was described as a new species in 1873 by Irish zoologist George Edward Dobson.

Dobson had obtained the holotype from James Wood-Mason.

[2] Its species name "johorensis" is Latin for "belonging to Johor."

Its ears are connected to each other by a band of tissue called the interaural membrane.

As a free-tailed bat, its tail extends beyond the uropatagium.