This gymnure is known from the Gunung Leuser highlands of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Confirmed records are from 2,073–2,835 m.
The coat is thick, soft, and dark brown; the long tail is entirely black. The underside is paler, with buff-tipped dark-gray hairs, and the ears are relatively long.
Records span 2,073–2,835 m, with most between 2,073 and 2,408 m. Some field notes describe captures in mossy places, including by streams or beneath logs and roots.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.