 It is a tiny bat often weighing less than (males in some areas weigh as little as ).It is sometimes referred to as Australia's smallest mammal, although the Northern or Koopmans Pipistrelle, "Pipistrellus westralis", is possibly smaller, weighing on average around .It is the smallest bat in Tasmania

The little forest bat is one of the most commonly observed bats in south-eastern Australia, it is found in a variety of habitats including Eucalypt woodlands and forests as well as in rural, semi-rural and some urban areas.