This species can be found in brushy arroyos, along the edges of cultivated fields and in agriculture areas. It occurs in sandy areas among mesquite (Prosopis). It is common near rocks and in dry arroyos. The habitat is thornscrub and short-tree forests with alluvial soils. It is found in coastal areas, and along the foothills of the Sierras, which has not yet been converted to agriculture. In the southern part of its distribution, where it is sympatric with its close relative, C. artus, this species occurs in thorn scrub and short-tree forests on alluvial soils, and is absent or uncommon in riparian communities, along river terraces, or on rocky slopes. C. artus occupies the closed, more mesic short-tree forest and riparian galleries along river and streambeds, apparently excluding C. goldmani and reducing gene flow between its six described chromosomal races (Patton 1969, Patton and Alvarez-Castañeda 1999). The diet of this species consists largely of seeds of shrubs, annuals and grasses, with small amounts of green vegetation and insects.

This species is endemic to Mexico and occurs from northwestern to southern Sonora, southwestern Chihuahua, and northern Sinaloa (Patton 2005, Patton and Alvarez-Castañeda 1999).

There are no known conservation measures for this species. It is unknown whether or not it occurs in any protected areas.