A shrew of humid mountain forests, with a dark back, silvery-brown underside, and moderately long claws.
The back is dark brown and the underside is a paler silvery brown. The tail is slightly bicolored, and the foreclaws are of medium length.
Inside the broad forefoot of Goodwin’s Broad-clawed Shrew are the bone supporting each claw and the small bones behind it. Compared with close relatives, this species tends to have relatively broad finger bones. Distinctions occur beneath the visible claws as well as on the outside.
A 2010 study X-rayed the forefeet of dried museum skins. Bones retained inside the feet could be examined without removing them. The comparison included 16 specimens of this species collected at Calel and other Guatemalan localities.
The researchers measured bone lengths and widths, focusing on the middle finger. Broad bones and large terminal phalanges helped distinguish this species from two comparison groups. The compared shrews have broadly overlapping skull dimensions. Their finger bones nevertheless retained useful clues for distinguishing specimens.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
CONAP’s June 2022 list of threatened species placed this shrew in Guatemala’s national Category3, Vulnerable (VU). The document emphasizes research to improve information on threats and conservation management. Confirming current occurrence in western Guatemala’s mountain forests and distinguishing records from those of close relatives would help identify habitat conservation priorities.