The upper parts are grayish or various shades of brown, sometimes with a reddish or cinnamon cast. Some species have whitish spots on the body. The underparts are creamy, pale brown, or white. Males of the species T. longimanus are usually cinnamon brown in color, whereas most females of this species are dark gray. A wing pocket or pouch is present in all species.
Most species also have a glandular sac in the lower throat.
This sac is more highly developed in the males than in the females and may be entirely absent in the latter. The species T. melanopogon lacks this sac and instead has small pores that open into the area where the sac would be. Tomb bats are found in a variety of habitats, including rainforest, open woodland, and fairly arid country. They roost in tombs, old buildings, rock crevices, caverns in rocky deserts, shallow caves, cliffs along seashores, and trees. T. longimanus is often found in the top of coconut palms.