It is dull grey in colour with lighter underparts and a long tail which is brown on top and yellowish underneath.

It makes extensive, solitary, burrows in the leaf litter on the forest floor or builds globular nests 10–15 centimetres (3.9–5.9 in) of plant materials under rocks.

Its diet consists mainly of beetles, however other insects, earthworms, snails, small rodents and other soil dwelling invertebrates are also taken.

Some field biologists, noting the abundance of the species in some areas and its absence in others, have suggested the smoky shrew is colonial.

However, their data remain inconclusive, and may reflect a tendency for smoky shrews to achieve dense populations within pockets of suitable habitat instead of exhibiting a complex social structure Smoky shrews are quite vocal although the form and function of the vocal repertoire are not well known.