C. fordii is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic),[1][4] including the surrounding islets of Île à Cabrit, Île de la Gonâve, Isla Catalina, and Isla Saona.

[6] The preferred natural habitat of C. fordii is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 713 m (2,339 ft), but it has also been found in agricultural areas.

Dorsally, it has a ground color that is pale olive, yellowish, or reddish, overlaid by a series of transverse dark brown blotches, which are oval or kidney-shaped, with blackish borders.

On the dorsal surface of the head, the large frontal contacts the supraoculars; the remainder is covered by small irregular plates.

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Chilabothrus.