All rights reserved. This document may be used, with this header included, for noncommercial purposes within a subscribed institution . No copies of this work may be distributed electronically outside of the subscribed institution, in whole or in part, without written permission from the JHU Press . The general coloration is reddish brown, dark chestnut brown, dark brown, rusty blackish, or black. Many, perhaps all, of the species have two color phases.
Some species have a long, bicolored pelage, whereas others have short, velvety, unicolored fur.
Externally, these bats resemble Tadarida and Molossops, but they differ in cranial and dental characters. The bases of the ears meet on the forehead. Throat sacs may be present. The genus is also known to roost in the fronds of palm trees and in caves. Species of Molossus and Noctilio albiventris often are found roosting in the same trees and buildings.