This is a fossorial species found in a wide variety of Mediterranean habitats; Speybroeck et al. (2016) mention Mediterranean scrubland, forest and arable land (a previous Red List assessment refers to its occurrence in modified habitats as "low-intensity agricultural land" - Pleguezuelos et al. 2009). It is often found in moist, sandy soils in which it can burrow or have a high level of humus (Speybroeck et al. 2016). Most of its life is spent underground and it may aestivate over summer, but it can be encountered on the surface at night, particularly after rain (Speybroeck et al. 2016). The females lay one to three eggs in soil or decaying wood (Speybroeck et al. 2016).

This species is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, where it occurs in southern Spain and in southern and central Portugal as far north as Carvalhão (Sampaio et al. 2015, Ceríaco and Bauer 2018). It appears to be "almost sympatric" with its sister species Blanus vandelli in the Campo Maior region of Portugal and in some areas of the Extremadura and Andalucia in Spain (Ceríaco and Bauer 2018), but there has been limited work on Blanus in these areas and further fieldwork combined with genetic sampling is needed to fully understand range limits between the two taxa (Sampaio et al. 2015, Ceriaco and Bauer 2018).

The species occurs up to 1,800 m asl (Speybroeck et al. 2016, referring to both this species and B. vandelli). The species has been reported from several islands off the coast of Spain and from Pessegueiro Island in Portugal (Sillero 2010), but it is unclear to which of the two recognised species these record now refer.

The species has been introduced, out of the European region, to the Black Sea coast of the Russian Northern Caucuses region.

This species is protected by national legislation. It occurs in many protected areas. Further studies are needed into the threats, distribution and abundance of this species.