The Somali Elephant Shrew is a small sengi with a tail that appears much longer than its head and body. In southern Djibouti, pairs were observed sheltering beneath low bushes.
A photographed individual had a relatively hairy tail tip, and its tail appeared much longer than its head and body.
In southern Djibouti, pairs were observed resting quietly beneath low bushes, roaming nearby, and returning to the same shelter.
A pale ring around the eye is interrupted by a dark mark behind it. Hair grows on the lower rhinarium, and longer hairs form a tuft near the end of the tail. Head-and-body length was reported as 122–148 mm in six historical specimens. Researchers used this combination of traits to identify specimens obtained in Djibouti in 2019.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.