Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.

It was thought to be endemic to the island of Hainan, China, where it is threatened due to habitat loss, but in 2018 was found to also occur in, and be rather common, in Northern Vietnam.

Although previously considered part of the genus Hylomys, gene sequencing of a mitochondrial cytochrome b gene supports the idea that the species is sufficiently distantly related to comprise a genus of its own.

The tail is approximately 26.3% of head and body length.

Hainan Gymnures have olive-brown fur with a longitudinal black line on its anterior midback.