Range: Mato Grosso and Goias States, Brazil

 

Relatively newly described, this species has no common name. It is recorded only from a handful of specimens in the Cerrado region of south-central Brazil. It can reach at least 21 cm in length, with a moderately to extremely slender build, a short rounded head with a distinctive downward-sloping overbite snout, and a short, blunt tail tipped in a very short spine. Dorsal scale count is 241-254, scale rows 14 reduced to 10 caudally. Coloration is generally light to medium brown with seven dark to black stripes running longitudinally down the body. Ventral color is lighter cream or tan with a reticulated look from darker scale edges, and a small whitish to yellow spot is present on the very tip of the snout and tail. The very unique sloping rather than rounded or flattened snout shape distinguishes this species from all of its relatives, and is the source of the specific epithet.

 

Habitat: recorded only from the gallery forests within the Cerrado grasslands. Likely to inhabit leaf litter and other debris, or within the nests of its prey.

 

Prey: likely small soft-bodied invertebrates such as ant and termite larvae.

 

Lifespan and reproduction: lifespan unknown, likely under 10 years. Oviparous.

 

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/252391484 Juan Christyan copyright https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Arredondo, J. and Zaher, H. (2010). A new species of Epictia (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) from Central Brazil. South American Journal of Herpetology 5(3): 189-198.