Winkelmann's mouse is found only in a relatively small area of southern Michoacán in Mexico, where it inhabits isolated regions on the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental. It lives in woodland patches of tall oak trees, mixed with pines. These areas have dense understories, and thick epiphytes, including patches of mosses, orchids, and bromeliads. There are no subspecies. Because it is only found in such a small area, and because much of the woodland on which it depends is currently subject to logging, it is formally considered an endangered species by the IUCN.