[4] The availability of the name Nyctophilus timoriensis is uncertain and recognised or excluded in some treatments, following a revision and new taxa published in 2009.

They are found in Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, and lack extensive research into their diverse forms and habits.

The species have a body arrangement that resembles the horseshoe bat family Rhinolophidae, but distinguished by ears that exceed the length of the head.

[7] The species have small appendages at the nostrils, similar to the larger ornamented structures of bats using nasally emitted constant frequency sound in echolocation.

The often plain faced vespertilionid genera use frequency modulated echolocation, emitted orally, but this genus—and possibly the North American genus Antrozous—is confirmed to use sound via the nostril apparatus.