[2] It is part of the tribe Antrozoini within the subfamily Vespertilioninae and is related to the pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus).

[3][4] The bat is found in forest habitat from sea level to elevations as high as 2300 m, although not usually above 1300 m, and is insectivorous and crepuscular.

[1] The bat was discovered by Richard Van Gelder, then curator of mammalogy at the American Museum of Natural History.

[5] Van Gelder's bat is found in Central America where its range includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

It meets the criteria for this classification because it is locally uncommon throughout its range; it is experiencing significant population declines; and its habitats are "highly fragile".