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Raymond Hoser
Raymond Terrence Hoser (born 1962) is an Australian snake-catcher and author.
Hoser's work on herpetology is controversial, including his advocacy of the surgical alteration of captive snakes to remove their venom glands and his self-published herpetological taxonomy, which has been described as "taxonomic vandalism".
Hoser has written on herpetology, with a focus on the taxonomy of Australian snakes. He has written and edited for Monitor, an amateur magazine of the Victorian Herpetological Society. Since 2009, he has self-published the Australasian Journal of Herpetology. Hoser has described several species and genera of reptiles, including Pseudechis pailsei and Acanthophis wellsi (snakes in the family Elapidae).
A 2021 review identified 1,795 taxon names proposed by Hoser, and found that 59 of his reptile names had been over-written by later herpetologists. His proposal to establish a genus of Pythonidae containing the reticulated and Timor pythons was affirmed by a later phylogenetic study, but Reynolds et al. 2013, suggest the name Malayopython be used in place of Hoser's 2004 Broghammerus. Similarly, for two species of alligator snapping turtle, Thomas et al. 2014 give new names to over-write Hoser's names. The new names have found widespread acceptance in preference of Hoser's names.
Professional academic herpetologists have had significant criticism of his taxonomic work. Hoser's work has been described as "amateur", "vanity publishing", not peer-reviewed, "taxonomic vandalism", extensively plagiarised, and a source of confusion. In particular, several of his descriptions are said to lack adequate detail and reference to type specimens. As a result, herpetological societies in America, Europe and Africa have resolved to ignore or over-write Hoser's nomenclature.
Hoser responded to the over-writing by declaring the new names to be junior synonyms which thus are invalid according to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (the Code). In 2013, he applied to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to confirm that his names were "available" (i.e. had been validly published), using the name Spracklandus as a test case. In 2021, the ICZN responded that it found "no basis under the provisions of the Code for regarding the name Spracklandus as unavailable, nor for regarding any of issues 1–24 of Australasian Journal of Herpetology as being unpublished in the sense of the Code". However, ICZN Commissioner Frank Krell wrote that herpetologists' voluntary decision to ignore and overwrite Hoser's names "might be a better way forward than a suppression of Hoser's works by the ICZN", and most herpetologists have not used Hoser's names in subsequent publications.
Hoser has a business as a snake handler. Operating as "Snakebusters" among other names, he provides reptiles for children's birthday parties and catches snakes found in urban areas to move them elsewhere. As part of his business, he claims "Snakeman" (and others) as trademarks, names which he has taken steps to defend on several occasions. He once criticised the zookeeper, conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin for giving people "false ideas about how to behave around snakes".
Hoser is an advocate of surgically altering snakes to inhibit the production of venom. The procedure for creating venomoid snakes is regarded as controversial.
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Raymond Hoser
Raymond Terrence Hoser (born 1962) is an Australian snake-catcher and author.
Hoser's work on herpetology is controversial, including his advocacy of the surgical alteration of captive snakes to remove their venom glands and his self-published herpetological taxonomy, which has been described as "taxonomic vandalism".
Hoser has written on herpetology, with a focus on the taxonomy of Australian snakes. He has written and edited for Monitor, an amateur magazine of the Victorian Herpetological Society. Since 2009, he has self-published the Australasian Journal of Herpetology. Hoser has described several species and genera of reptiles, including Pseudechis pailsei and Acanthophis wellsi (snakes in the family Elapidae).
A 2021 review identified 1,795 taxon names proposed by Hoser, and found that 59 of his reptile names had been over-written by later herpetologists. His proposal to establish a genus of Pythonidae containing the reticulated and Timor pythons was affirmed by a later phylogenetic study, but Reynolds et al. 2013, suggest the name Malayopython be used in place of Hoser's 2004 Broghammerus. Similarly, for two species of alligator snapping turtle, Thomas et al. 2014 give new names to over-write Hoser's names. The new names have found widespread acceptance in preference of Hoser's names.
Professional academic herpetologists have had significant criticism of his taxonomic work. Hoser's work has been described as "amateur", "vanity publishing", not peer-reviewed, "taxonomic vandalism", extensively plagiarised, and a source of confusion. In particular, several of his descriptions are said to lack adequate detail and reference to type specimens. As a result, herpetological societies in America, Europe and Africa have resolved to ignore or over-write Hoser's nomenclature.
Hoser responded to the over-writing by declaring the new names to be junior synonyms which thus are invalid according to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (the Code). In 2013, he applied to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to confirm that his names were "available" (i.e. had been validly published), using the name Spracklandus as a test case. In 2021, the ICZN responded that it found "no basis under the provisions of the Code for regarding the name Spracklandus as unavailable, nor for regarding any of issues 1–24 of Australasian Journal of Herpetology as being unpublished in the sense of the Code". However, ICZN Commissioner Frank Krell wrote that herpetologists' voluntary decision to ignore and overwrite Hoser's names "might be a better way forward than a suppression of Hoser's works by the ICZN", and most herpetologists have not used Hoser's names in subsequent publications.
Hoser has a business as a snake handler. Operating as "Snakebusters" among other names, he provides reptiles for children's birthday parties and catches snakes found in urban areas to move them elsewhere. As part of his business, he claims "Snakeman" (and others) as trademarks, names which he has taken steps to defend on several occasions. He once criticised the zookeeper, conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin for giving people "false ideas about how to behave around snakes".
Hoser is an advocate of surgically altering snakes to inhibit the production of venom. The procedure for creating venomoid snakes is regarded as controversial.