Description of the second known specimen of Apostolepis phillipsi (Serpentes, Elapomorphini) and first record in Brazil

The genus Apostolepis Cope, 1862 comprises small to medium cryptozoic-fossorial snakes occurring in the cis-Andean South America and grouped with ElapomorphusWiegmann (in Fitzinger), 1843 and Phalotris Cope, 1862 within a solid clade, the tribe Elapomorphini Jan, 1862. Apostolepis species are oviparous, diurnal and nocturnal, occurring from rain forests to seasonal savannas, semi-arid vegetational domains and sandy dunes. Recent collection and taxonomic efforts added significant number of taxa to the genus, improvement to the species diagnoses based on the re-descriptions of species and re-identification of specimens, and relevant data on its species geographical distributions. Apostolepis phillipsi probably is one of the most unknown species in the genus Apostolepis, and until our study, it was known only from the holotype specimen collected on 17 September of 1993 in the Provincia Velasco, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Herein we present the second specimen of Apostolepsis phillipsi and the first record of this species in Brazil, from the municipality of Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade, state of Mato Grosso. We also present the first picture of a living specimen. The specimen collected in Brazil is a male with 357 mm of snout-vent-length and 38 mm of tail length, 6/6 supralabials, dorsal scales rows 15-15-15 and 215 ventrals. Based on the few confirmed records we now know that Apostolepis phillipsi is not endemic to Bolivia, also occurring at least in the Brazilian central-west close to the Bolivian border. Apostolepis phillipsi seems to have a very tiny geographical distribution, including a Brazilian portion highly threatened by cattle raising, logging, and agriculture so we suggest the IUCN to re-assess the conservation status of A. phillipsi and recommend the Brazilian government to include this species in the “Brazilian red list of threatened species”.