The Ipanema bat is a medium-sized bat which is brown-furred overall, with the exception of its white-furred shoulders. The fur of its back is a darker shade of brown than that of its chest. It has less fur on its shoulders and upper chest than on the rest of its body, particularly in males. Its rostrum is shorter and more square-shaped than other species of its subfamily, Stenodermatinae It has a large nose and no tail, with roundish ears having a small, 4–5 mm (0.16-0.2 in) tragus.