[3] Two subspecies are currently recognised, although whether or not they are genuinely distinct has been questioned:[5] Pale spear-nosed bats are nocturnal, spending the day roosting in hollow trees or the mouths of caves.

Within each colony, individual bats cluster together in smaller groups, which are either all-male, or consist of a single breeding male and up to 15 females.

Although most reports agree that they feed primarily on nectar and other plant material,[7] in some parts of their range, insects may be a more significant food source.

[3] While foraging, pale spear-nosed bats often travel in groups of up to 12 individuals, flying in single file and taking it in turns to visit flowers.

[11] Pale spear-nosed bats show an unusually complex vocal repertoire, with up to 20 different calls, similar to that of many non-human primates.

The mating season, if any, is variable across the bats' range, being restricted to the summer in Guatemala,[12] but apparently occurring year round in Brazil.

The calls are initially longer in duration, and with more intense lower harmonics, but change into the adult form by the time they begin to fly.