This shrew was described from Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam. The described specimens are dark gray, with somewhat paler feet. Current records are limited to one locality in the island's north.
The specimens have short, dense, dark gray fur with a slight brown hue on both back and underside. The tail is dark above and paler below, with bristles on about its basal three-fifths; the feet are paler than the body.
The five type specimens were collected at one locality in undisturbed dipterocarp forest in northern Phu Quoc. This is a collection record, not a comparison with other island habitats.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.