Coloration is tawny, brownish, or grayish, with much variation. Whitish hair tufts are present at the base of the ears.
Males have two pairs of pharyngeal sacs, large shoulder pouches, and epauletlike hair tufts.
These tufts, whitish or yellowish in color, are conspicuous in dried specimens, but in the live bats, as in related genera, the shoulder pouch may be so drawn in that the epaulet is almost completely concealed. Also as in the related bats, the shoulder pouches of Epomops are lined with a glandular membrane. This high-pitched note can be heard throughout the night and may be emitted continuously for several minutes by a given male. Epauleted bats are usually found in forests but also appear in open country. They roost in trees and bushes and are quite alert by day.