 The classification of the great stripe-faced bat has been controversial for many years, originally thought to be monotypic "Vampyrodes major" was first classified as a subspecies of "Vampyrodes caraccioli" but is now recognized as its own species due to recent morphological and molecular analysis of the two species.The Great stripe-faced bat is a medium to large sized frugivorous bat weight on average between for a fully grown adult, and having an average forearm length of between respectively.The great stripe-faced bat is also characterized by the bright white stripes that streak the sides of the bat's face as well as the white mid dorsal stripe that extends from its crown to its rump.