Nests can be found in cavities of tree stumps, in fallen logs, or under rocks or other materials. They often use burrows of other mammals and occasionally make their own. Food is something that the masked shrew requires frequently. Because of their high metabolism, they would soon die if food were not available. Favorite foods include a variety of invertebrates such as beetles, flies, ants, crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, and moths.
Shrews find food by burrowing through loose soil or grass, leaves, and other material above ground.