It represented one of only 3 native land mammals to the islands at the time of human arrival, alongside the goat-antelope Myotragus and the giant dormouse Hypnomys.

[2] Position of Nesiotites within Nectogalini based on DNA and morphological characters after Bover et al (2018):[2] Episoriculus fumidus Chimarrogale himalayica (Himalayan water shrew) Nectogale elegans (elegant water shrew) Neomys fodiens (water shrew) †Neomys newtoni Soriculus nigrescens (Himalayan shrew) †Nesiotites hidalgo †Asoriculus gibberodon Episoriculus leucops Episoriculus caudatus Episoriculus macrurus Chodsigoa parca Chodsigoa sodalis Chodsigoa hypsibia Members of Nesiotites exhibited a large body size compared to their likely mainland ancestor, Asoriculus gibberodon (estimated to weigh 8.85 grams (0.312 oz)), as well to most other members of Nectogalini, an example of island gigantism.

Later becoming isolated on the island when the Mediterranean refilled as result of the Zanclean Flood around 5.3 million years ago, at the beginning of the Pliocene.

Nesiotites later spread to Menorca during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition, when episodes of low sea level connected the two islands.

[8][6] During most of its existence, it represented only one of three terrestrial mammal lineages native to the Balearic islands, alongside the giant dormouse Hypnomys and the dwarf goat-antelope Myotragus.