Cowan's shrew tenrec is a small tenrec from the humid forests of eastern Madagascar. It searches among leaf litter and fallen wood for small prey.
Its coat ranges from reddish chocolate brown to mouse brown, and some descriptions include a darker stripe along the back. The underside is lighter.
On the forest floor it forages among leaf litter, fallen branches, and tree roots for insects, earthworms, and other prey. It also builds nests with leaves.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.