It was maintained as a subspecies until 2011, when Benda et al. published that this population had a genetic distance of more than 12% from other members of its genus.

[2] It is a nocturnal species, roosting in sheltered places during the day such as caves.

[1] The Somalian trident bat is found in the Horn of Africa in Somalia, as well as the Yemeni island of Socotra.

It inhabits arid areas such as savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert.

It meets the criteria for this designation because it was only recently recognized as a full species, and as such, information is lacking regarding its ecology and distribution.