On the underside of the body, the coat color is usually red, grey, or cream-colored.

In some shrew gymnures, the sides of the neck and head are tinged with red.

In comparison to other members of its family, the shrew gymnure has a longer tail, shorter snout, and fewer teeth.

[2] Shrew gymnures reside in cool, damp forests between 300 and 2700 m altitude.

Within their range, shrew gymnures can be found beneath logs and rocks and also dwell in burrows characterized by moss and fern cover.