The golden-rumped sengi is found in the northern coastal areas in and around Arabuko Sokoke National Park Mombasa in Kenya.

On juveniles, the fur shows vestigial traces of a checkerboard pattern seen on giant sengis like the checkered elephant shrew.

The golden-rumped sengi is a diurnal animal, which lives in densely vegetated forests, avoiding clear and open areas to help protect themselves from predators.

Males have slightly larger home areas than females, and are more likely to trespass into neighboring territories, which makes them more vulnerable to predators.

The golden-rumped sengi evolved various strategies to avoid predators, particularly snakes (such as black mambas and cobras) and the southern banded snake-eagle.

In the event of a chase or an ambush, the golden-rumped's flash of fur will often deflect the predator's attention away from the head and onto the rump, which has thicker skin and could give them an opportunity to survive an attack.

The protected rump is more pronounced in males than female, and this dermal shield is roughly three times thicker than the skin in the middle of its back.