Each lesser dog-faced fruit bat has, of course, a dog-like face. They have large dark eyes and white-edged ear. Their white finger bones stand out against their black wings. They have short & dark grey-brown to yellow-brown fur on their back while their underside is a bit paler. Adult males typically have a dark orange-red collar while the females have a yellow-orange collar. The young bats of this species lack the collar the adults have, and they tend to be all grey.