We assessed the conservation status of 61 species from a central Brazilian snake assemblage by ranking species according to their vulnerability to ten threat factors that are thought to influence the survival of snake populations. The anomalepidid snake Liotyphlops ternetzii whereas the species with the lowest risk and the colubrid Drymoluber brazili was the most threatened. Less than 15% of the Distrito Federal snake fauna was considered free from any threat. The natural-history of the species, its geographic distribution, and human attitudes were important factors in determining the levels of threat for central Brazilian snakes. Principal Component and Cluster analyses were used to classify species into vulnerability groups that were based on sharing similar threat factors. Thirteen groups were identified which classified species in categories ranging from no risk to threatened. Within Brazil, status assessments of additional snake assemblages in other biomes would be useful in generating a comprehensive conservation plan for the country.