One of the rarest of the Neotropical snakes, Ditaxodon taeniatus (Hensel, 1868) is known from only 18 specimens (including the holotype which has been lost). In this paper, we redescribe the species, designate a neotype, and discuss variation in morphology and color patterns. Its distribution appears to be discontinuous: it has been recorded only from the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. The little we know of the natural history of Ditaxodon indicates that it is grassland savanna dwelling, terrestrial, and oviparous. Its allocation to the xenodontine colubrid Tribe Philodryadini is supported.