The ears are well developed or short and united across the forehead in some genera. A tragus is lacking. In these bats each toe has only two bones, whereas in the Rhinolophidae each toe consists of three bones, except the first toe, which has two bones. The nasal region of the skull is only slightly inflated. These bats utilize caves, underground chambers made by people, buildings, and hollow trees as retreats.
Some species associate in groups of hundreds, others in small groups, and some forms roost singly.
Sometimes they associate with other species of bats. Horseshoe bats catch most of their insect prey in flight. These bats possibly fly with the mouth closed, emitting ultrasonic sounds through the nostrils. Asellia tridens emits far-reaching, beamed pulses, like the members of the family Rhinolophidae, as well as shorter pulses, like the members of the family Vespertilionidae. The geological range of this family is Eocene to Oligocene, and perhaps Miocene, in Europe, and Recent over the present range.