R. godmani is found in extreme southeastern Mexico, in the Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, and in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama.

[1][3] The preferred natural habitat of R. godmani is forest, at altitudes of 1,200–2,650 m (3,940–8,690 ft), but has also been found in pasture land.

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

The specific name, godmani, is in honor of British naturalist Frederick DuCane Godman.

[4] The subspecific name, zilchi, is in honor of German malacologist Adolf Michael Zilch.