The Thick-tailed Shrew has records from lowland to montane forest on Java. A recent survey added localities in western Java.
Compared with the related Oriental Shrew, it has a shorter tail, shorter body hair, and bristles on the tail.
In western Java it was recorded in lowland forest at about 10 m and montane forest at about 1,025 m. These are collection records from two study localities, not estimates of abundance or daily activity.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.