It is distributed in a narrow band around the Mediterranean Sea from North-Western Africa across Portugal, Spain, the Balearics, southern France, Sardinia, Sicily and the Balkan Peninsula to Asia Minor.

[2] The bat is medium-sized for a member of the genus Rhinolophus, with pale lips and grey-brown ears and flight membranes.

[3] The bat emerges at dusk, hunting low over the ground on warm hillsides and also among bushes and trees, preying on moths and other insects.

A behavioral study conducted by Puechmaille et al. (2014) revealed that the peak frequencies of echolocation calls emitted by male and female Rhinolophus mehelyi accurately reflect their body size and condition.

This distinction suggests that females choose males based on their call frequency for the indirect benefits of having healthier and fitter offspring.