The northern caenolestid is one of the five members of Caenolestes, and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums).

[3] In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that Caenolestes is closely related to Lestoros (the Incan caenolestid).

The generic name Caenolestes derives from the Greek words kainos ("new") and lestes ("robber", "pirate").

[9] Kirsch and Waller (1979) gave the following measurements for 1 adult male captured in Colombia in 1969:[10] The northern caenolestid occurs in and around alpine and secondary forests.

In 2008, the IUCN classified the northern caenolestid as Vulnerable because it is known only from an area of 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi).