 The species was first described in February 1820 by the French explorers Pierre-Médard Diard and Alfred Duvaucel in their jointly written article ""Sur une nouvelle espèce de Sorex — Sorex Glis"", which is preceded by an illustration.They observed specimens in Penang and Singapore, and considered them a species of "Sorex", and not as a new genus.Between 1821 and 1940, several zoologists described the species from other areas.