The fur of these shrews is soft and silky; its color varies from yellow-brown and gray to black. Body length from 60 to 110 mm, weight up to 23 g.
The distribution area of mouse-like shrews extends from Cameroon and Uganda to South Africa. Their living space is humid forests and bush.
These animals are active both day and night. They dig holes that are then lined with grass. Outside the breeding season, they lead a solitary lifestyle.
Food consists of insects, as well as small mammals and birds.
Because of the destruction of living space, two species are listed in the IUCN Red List, as species that are threatened with extinction, are the Eisentraut M. eisentrauti mouse shrew and the M. rumpii ramp mouse .
The genus includes 14 species [1] :
- The mouse-shaped shrew Babylta ( Myosorex babaulti ) is known for several finds near Lake Kivu
- Ugandan mouse-like shrew ( Myosorex blarina ) lives only in the Ruvenzori Mountains .
- Dark-footed mouse shrew ( Myosorex cafer ) distributed from Zimbabwe and Mozambique to South Africa
- The mouse-like shrew Eisentrauta ( Myosorex eisentrauti ) lives only on the island of Bioko
- Tanzanian mouse shrew ( Myosorex geata ) lives only in southwest Tanzania
- Myosorex kihaulei is described only in 2000, lives in the south of Tanzania
- The long-tailed mouse shrew ( Myosorex longicaudatus ) lives in a small region near the South African city of Knysna
- The Bamenda mouse-shaped shrew ( Myosorex okuensis ) lives in a small region in Cameroon
- The Rampian mouse-shaped shrew ( Myosorex rumpii ) is known from several specimens found in Cameroon
- Schaller Shrew ( Myosorex schalleri ) is known for a single copy from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Sclater Shrew ( Myosorex sclateri ) lives in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal
- The small mouse-like shrew ( Myosorex tenuis ) lives in northern South Africa
- Wood mouse shrew ( Myosorex varius ) lives in South Africa
- Myosorex zinki endemic to the regions around Kilimanjaro
