There are six species in this family of small marsupials. They are all found in the Andes Mountains in western South America.

They look like shrews, but they are marsupials. They are 4-5 inches in length and have small, round eyes; grayish-brown fur; long, pointed snouts; and long, non-prehensile tails. Unlike other species of marsupials, female shrew opossums do not have a pouch.

Shrew opossums have poor eyesight. They use their hearing and whiskers to locate insects and worms. They spend most of their time underground.

Species in this family include the gray-bellied shrew opossum, the blackish shrew opossum, the silky shrew opossum, the Incan shrew opossum, and the Andean shrew opossum.