A small bat weighing 7–11 grams that resides in large colonies of subterranean environs, usually caves and abandoned mines.

[5] A complex structure—a characteristic of some bats referred to as 'nose-leaf'—is broad and flattened at the base, with a central gap, similar to a horseshoe-shape of related species.

[2][7] The syntype for the species in located at the British Museum of Natural History, the note stating it was collected at Port Essington "near the hospital".

[7] The range of Rhinonicteris aurantia is across the north of the continent—the Top End and Kakadu—which encompasses the northernmost part of the Northern Territory, and extends into of Western Australia and north-west Queensland.

[5] The habit of flying close to the ground sees the species collected by the grille of road trains, frequently transporting them en route from Katherine to the north of the state.

[10] A new species of parasite, Opthalmodex australiensis,[11] was found on a specimen of the bat, this minute organism seems to occur in the eye as a low grade infestation and subsist on epithelial tissue.

[13][14] The colony may desert a site if intruded upon by visitors, the species is noted as even more susceptible to human activities near their roosts than other bats.

Direct threats include destruction of habitat by mining, clearing for agriculture and pastoralism that results in the loss of food resources.