The upper parts are grayish yellow, gray, buffy white, buffy brown, reddish, or dark brown. The underparts are white, buffy, or grayish. The snout is comparatively short and tapering in E. brachyrhynchus, and longer and more slender in most other species. The first digit of the hind foot is small and bears a claw. There are 10 lower teeth on each side, except in E. brachyrhynchus and E. fuscipes, which have 11.
Females have three pairs of mammae.
These elephant shrews occur in a variety of habitats, including savannah, steppe, and semidesert. They are most commonly found in rocky areas, and several species are closely associated with kopjes, or rocky outcrops. They sometimes dig their own burrows, but often they use burrows originally excavated or started by small rodents. In flatlands their burrows may have a vertical escape hole located a meter or so from the main entrance. These elephant shrews may use crevices in rocks or other shelters rather than construct their own burrows.