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'''Raymond Terrence Hoser''' (born 1962, United Kingdom) is a self-described Australian [[herpetologist]], snake-catcher, and author. Since 1976 he has written books and articles about [[official corruption]] in Australia. He has also authored works on Australian frogs and reptiles and operates a snake handling business, Snakebusters, in Melbourne. Hoser's work is controversial, such as his advocacy of [[venomoid]] snakes.
'''Raymond Terrence Hoser''' (born 1962, United Kingdom), known globally as the Snake Man is Australia's most highly regarded herpetologist, snake-catcher, and author. Since 1976 he has written books and articles about [[official corruption]] in Australia. He has also authored works on Australian frogs and reptiles and operates a snake handling business, Snakebusters, in Melbourne. Hoser's work is regarded as impeccably accurate and detailed and is widely cited by other experts on wildlife and the general public.


==Career==
==Career==
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Hoser has published several works as a [[whistleblower]], in a 1998 radio interview he said that he was "known as an anti-corruption crusader".<ref name="bolton"/> An analysis of his work by the [[Rationalist Society of Australia]] referred to him as a "tireless investigator"<ref name=strange/> and he has received praise from [[Brian Martin (professor)|Brian Martin]], a former president of [[Whistleblowers Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090423185728/http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/Martin_def.html|archivedate= 23 April 2009| first = Brian| last= Martin|url = http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/Martin_def.html | title=Defamation and the Australian media: a case study| date= October 1997|accessdate =1 July 2011}}</ref>
Hoser has published several works as a [[whistleblower]], in a 1998 radio interview he said that he was "known as an anti-corruption crusader".<ref name="bolton"/> An analysis of his work by the [[Rationalist Society of Australia]] referred to him as a "tireless investigator"<ref name=strange/> and he has received praise from [[Brian Martin (professor)|Brian Martin]], a former president of [[Whistleblowers Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090423185728/http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/Martin_def.html|archivedate= 23 April 2009| first = Brian| last= Martin|url = http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/Martin_def.html | title=Defamation and the Australian media: a case study| date= October 1997|accessdate =1 July 2011}}</ref>


In his 1993 book, ''Smuggled'', Hoser wrote that officials of the wildlife services in [[New South Wales]] were involved in the illegal [[wildlife trade]].<ref name=strange>{{cite web | first= H. Clare |last=Callow | url = http://www.rationalist.com.au/archive/55/p29-33.pdf | title = Investigating Corruption – The Strange Case of Raymond Hoser| work= Australian Rationalist No 55| publisher = [[Rationalist Society of Australia]]| accessdate =1 July 2011}}</ref><ref>Green Left Weekly ''[http://www.greenleft.org.au/1993/105/5955 Wildlife smuggling book defeats 'ban']'', 30 June 1993. Retrieved 12 October 2008</ref>
In his 1993 book, ''Smuggled'', Hoser showed that officials of the wildlife services in [[New South Wales]] were involved in the illegal [[wildlife trade]].<ref name=strange>{{cite web | first= H. Clare |last=Callow | url = http://www.rationalist.com.au/archive/55/p29-33.pdf | title = Investigating Corruption – The Strange Case of Raymond Hoser| work= Australian Rationalist No 55| publisher = [[Rationalist Society of Australia]]| accessdate =1 July 2011}}</ref><ref>Green Left Weekly ''[http://www.greenleft.org.au/1993/105/5955 Wildlife smuggling book defeats 'ban']'', 30 June 1993. Retrieved 12 October 2008</ref>

In 1995 Hoser published, ''The Hoser Files'', detailing his encounters with Victoria Police and the Road Traffic Authority in Melbourne whilst working as a taxi driver (Hoser had moved to [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] in 1985).


===Herpetology===
===Herpetology===
Hoser has also contributed to the [[taxonomy]] of Australian snakes, describing dozens of new species and genera of snakes and suggesting revisions to current arrangements. The majority of these nominations have been supported by DNA and have generally been accepted by other zoologists as other studies have confirmed and replicated the Hoser position and findings.
Hoser has also contributed to the [[taxonomy]] of Australian snakes, describing [[Species description|new species]] and new [[Genus|genera]], and suggesting revisions to current arrangements. The majority of these nominations have not been accepted.<ref name=Wuster>{{cite web|url=http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/FWit/LittSerp.pdf|title=Taxonomic contributions in the "amateur" literature: comments on recent descriptions of new genera and species by Raymond Hoser. |author= Wüster, W., B. Bush, J.S. Keogh, M. O'Shea & R. Shine |year=2001|work= Litteratura Serpentium 21: 67–79, 86–91}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/%7Ebss166/Publications/2004_OzElapids_MPE.pdf |title =Snakes across the Strait: Trans-Torresian phylogeographic relationships in three genera of Australasian snakes (Serpentes: Elapidae: Acanthophis, Oxyuranus and Pseudechis). |author= Wüster, W., A.J. Dumbrell, C. Hay, C.E. Pook, D.J. Williams & B.G. Fry |year=2004|work= Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 34(1): 1–14.|quote= superseding; Wüster, W., et al. [http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/FWit/Pseudechis.htm Phylogeny and classification of Australo-Papuan black snakes and mulga snakes: comments on genus Pailsus Hoser] (1998) }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Wüster W, Golay P, Warrell DA |title=Synopsis of recent developments in venomous snake systematics, No. 3 |journal=Toxicon |volume=37 |issue=8 |pages=1123–9 |year=1999 |month=August |pmid=10400296 |doi= 10.1016/S0041-0101(98)00248-7|url=http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/Publications/ToxSyn3.pdf}}</ref> Hoser's work has been a source of controversy in the field of herpetology, with a 2001 review in ''[[Litteratura Serpentium]]'' strongly criticising his publications as "less than professional", describing them as a source of confusion and wasted effort.<ref name=Wuster/> The review claimed that Hoser provided no description of the [[holotype]] or [[Type (biology)|type specimen]] for most of his new species, and argued that Hoser's alleged errors could have been avoided had the articles been published in a [[peer-review]]ed, rather than amateur and non-institutional, journal.<ref name=Wuster/> Charges of ethical misconduct were made in this article.<ref name=Wuster/> Further criticism of Hoser's work was published in 2006, in a review that stated that "the level of evidence provided by Hoser to justify his taxonomic acts is minimal" and charged that several of his publications appear to have been made with the intention of scooping other workers in the field, behavior that the authors described as "ethically repugnant".<ref>{{cite journal |author=Williams D, Wüster W, Fry BG |title=The good, the bad and the ugly: Australian snake taxonomists and a history of the taxonomy of Australia's venomous snakes |journal=Toxicon |volume=48 |issue=7 |pages=919–30 |year=2006 |month=December |pmid=16999982 |doi=10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.07.016 |url=}}</ref>

Some of Hoser's papers have been published and discussed in scientific journals in Australia and elsewhere;<ref name="Kuch">{{cite journal|author=Kuch, Ulrich; Keogh, J. Scott; Weigel, John; Smith, Laurie A.; Mebs, Dietrich|date=03/2005|title=Phylogeography of Australia's king brown snake (Pseudechis australis) reveals Pliocene divergence and Pleistocene dispersal of a top predator|journal=Naturwissenschaften |volume=92|issue=3|pages=121–127|url=http://www.anu.edu.au/BoZo/Scott/PDF%20Files/39.2005.KuchEtAl.Nat%20copy.pdf|doi=10.1007/s00114-004-0602-0|pmid=15688185}}</ref> however, other papers have been published in journals that critics claim are amateur or self-published, non-peer reviewed journals.<ref name=Wuster/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02236p036.pdf |title=p29 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref> In a 2007 article in ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' on amateur naturalists Hoser responded to criticisms of his work by stating, "The description of me as an amateur is complete rubbish", he said. "There's no one in history who has spent so much time dealing with, looking at, catching and breeding death adders as myself."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Borrell B |title=Linnaeus at 300: the big name hunters |journal=Nature |volume=446 |issue=7133 |pages=253–5 |year=2007 |month=March |pmid=17361154 |doi=10.1038/446253a}}</ref> He is the author of the valid names and descriptions for ''[[Pseudechis pailsei]]'' and ''[[Acanthophis wellsi]]'', snakes in the [[Elapidae]] family.<ref>{{ITIS |id=700728 |taxon=Pseudechis pailsei Hoser, 1998}}</ref><ref>{{ITIS |id=700721 |taxon=Acanthophis wellsi (Hoser, 1998)}}</ref> Hoser's work on the taxonomy of the [[Pythoninae]]<ref name=Hoser2004>{{Cite journal| last = Hoser | first = R.T.| year = 2004 | title = A reclassification of the Pythoninae including the descriptions new genera, two new species and nine …| journal = Crocodilian—Journal of the Victorian Association of Amateur Herpetologists| volume = 4| pages = 21–39}}</ref> has been partially confirmed by later phylogenetic studies, but has not been officially recognized.<ref name=Rawlings2008>{{Cite journal| last1 = Rawlings | first1 = L.H.| last2 = Rabosky | first2 = D.L.| last3 = Donnellan | first3 = S.C.| last4 = Hutchinson | first4 = M.N.| year = 2008| title = Python phylogenetics: inference from morphology and mitochondrial DNA| journal = Biological Journal of the Linnean Society| volume = 93| issue = 3 | pages = 603–619 | doi = 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00904.x }}</ref>

In 2009, Hoser started his own journal, the Australasian Journal of Herpetology, for which he is editor and, as of March 2012, the sole contributing author.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smuggled.com/AJHIP1.htm |title=Australasian Journal of Herpetology |publisher=Smuggled.com |date= |accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref>

Hoser is an author and publisher of a number of books and a website on frogs and reptiles, and has a business as a [[snake handler]]. He runs the website ''smuggled.com'', which contains articles about official corruption and [[reptile]]s. Hoser runs a business called ''Snakebusters'' in [[Melbourne]], providing reptiles for children's birthday parties and catching and moving snakes in urban areas.<ref>''[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/20/1095651244778.html Toeing the party line]'', The Age, 21 September 2004. Retrieved 12 October 2008</ref><ref>Marika Dobbin, ''[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/python-takes-citylink-high-road/2008/04/09/1207420457359.html Escaped python ends up in Burnley Tunnel]'', The Age, 9 April 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008</ref> As part of his business, Hoser claims the title "Snakeman" (and others) as trademarks<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raymondhoser.com/ |title=Raymond Hoser® |publisher=Raymondhoser.com |date= |accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref> and has asked a number of people, including [[New South Wales]] volunteer snake-catcher George Ellis<ref>{{cite web|last=Townsend |first=Samantha |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/snakemen-in-a-venomous-fight-for-title/story-e6freuzi-1226157652019 |title=Snakemen in a venomous fight for title &#124; thetelegraph.com.au |publisher=Dailytelegraph.com.au |date=4 October 2011 |accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Matt Meir | 3 October 2011 1:31 PM |url=http://www.gattonstar.com.au/story/2011/10/03/only-one-snakeman/ |title=Only one 'snakeman' &#124; Gatton News &#124; Local News in Gatton |publisher=Gatton Star |date=3 October 2011 |accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref> and Gold Coast snake catcher Tony Harrison,<ref>http://www.smuggled.com/medre176.htm</ref> to cease using the name "snakeman".

Hoser is an advocate of [[venomoid]] snakes, surgically altered to remove venom, and has published discussion on this topic,<ref name=Hoser2004>{{Cite journal | last = Hoser | first = R. | year = 2004 | title = Surgical removal of Venom glands in Australian Elapids-The creation of Venomoids | journal = Herptile | volume = 29 | issue = 1 | pages = 37–40 | url = http://www.google.co.uk/webhp?hl=en}}</ref> and promoted the procedure on his website.<ref name="venomoids">R. Hoser ''[http://www.smuggled.com/VenArt1.htm Surgical Removal of Venom Glands in Australian Elapid Snakes. The creation of venomoids.]''</ref> These animals are kept as pets, or used in exhibitions to the general public, and the procedure is regarded as controversial.<ref>Jeff Miller [http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/55 Venomoids: An Overview] ''The Southeastern Hot Herp Society'' 29 March 2001 Retrieved 11 Oct 2008.</ref>
A 2008 government tribunal ruled that Hoser's venomoid snakes cannot be handled by members of the public, due to the risk of the venom glands regrowing. [[Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal|VCAT]] Deputy President Anne Coghlan found Hoser had no qualifications, no training and produced no scientific evidence to back up his claims.<ref>Mex Cooper [http://www.theage.com.au/national/devenomised-snakes-ruled-dangerous-20081015-5128.html 'De-venomised' snakes ruled dangerous] ''The Age'' 15 October 2008</ref>

==Court fines==
In 2001 the [[Victorian Supreme Court]] used the offence of ''scandalising the court'' to fine Hoser $5,000 after he published names of two county court judges and two magistrates in a book entitled ''Victoria Police Corruption'' with allegations of bias and improper conduct.<ref>{{cite web | title =Scandalous behaviour; Police under pressure; Starbucks Australia| url = http://www.abc.net.au/rn/nationalinterest/stories/2001/441523.htm | publisher = ABC Radio National | date=16 December 2001| accessdate=1 July 2011}}</ref><ref>Press Gazette, ''[http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=28394&sectioncode=1 Scandalising the Court]'', 10 October 2003. Retrieved 12 October 2008</ref> Hoser's 2003 appeal against the charge was unsuccessful and he was found guilty of a second contempt charge which was originally dismissed.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-12-15/author-losses-contempt-of-court-appeal/106248| publisher=ABC News Online|title= Author losses contempt of court appeal | date=15 December 2003| accessdate=1 July 2011}}</ref>

In 2011 Hoser was convicted and fined $12,000 in the County Court for demonstrating with venomous snakes less than three metres from the public, working in accessible pits and demonstrating in a way that put the animals at risk of theft. Hoser allowed his 10-year-old daughter to be bitten by a [[taipan]] and a [[death adder]] to demonstrate that his "venomoid" snakes were harmless.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/handler-raymond-hoser-let-snakes-bite-his-daughter/story-fn7x8me2-1226111929548|title=Handler Raymond Hoser let snakes bite his daughter|last=Prytz|first=Anna|date=10 August 2011|work=heraldsun.com.au|accessdate=10 August 2011}}</ref> The manager of the shopping center where Hoser performed claimed that Hoser's performance was not consistent with his act description and said that Hoser would not be allowed back.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jefferson |first=Andrew |url=http://melton-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/melton-shops-ban-for-snake-act/ |title=Melton shops ban for snake act - Business - News - Melton Leader |publisher=Melton-leader.whereilive.com.au |date= |accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref> Following this incident, the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) suspended Hoser's commercial wildlife demonstrator license and his authorisation to hold snake-handling courses and use wildlife in film and television.<ref name="heraldsun1">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/snakeman-has-licence-revoked/story-fn7x8me2-1226116966893|title=Snake handler Raymond Hoser has licence revoked|work=Herald Sun|date=18 August 2011}}
</ref> Hoser said that he would apply to the courts for an emergency injunction against this suspension.<ref name="heraldsun1"/>

==Candidate for local government==
In 2012 Hoser stood for election to the council of the [[City of Manningham]] (Mullum Mullum ward), but failed to win one of three positions. He received 4.31% of the primary vote.<ref name="Victorian Electoral Commission">{{cite web|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/ManninghamResult2012.html|title=Results for Manningham City Council Elections 2012|work=Victorian Electoral Commission}}</ref>


Hoser's business "Snakebusters" are regarded as world leaders in wildlife displays and education. As a result of his profile and success, inexperienced imitators and the government backed competitor, Melbourne Zoo have tried to have Hoser's business closed down in order to steal his established clientele.==Works==
==Works==


===Papers===
===Papers===

Revision as of 07:11, 17 December 2012

Raymond Hoser
Born
Raymond Terrence Hoser

1962
United Kingdom
Other namesWayne King,[1] Snake Man[2]
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
Known forHerpetologist, author
Websitewww.raymondhoser.com

Raymond Terrence Hoser (born 1962, United Kingdom), known globally as the Snake Man is Australia's most highly regarded herpetologist, snake-catcher, and author. Since 1976 he has written books and articles about official corruption in Australia. He has also authored works on Australian frogs and reptiles and operates a snake handling business, Snakebusters, in Melbourne. Hoser's work is regarded as impeccably accurate and detailed and is widely cited by other experts on wildlife and the general public.

Career

Whistleblower

Hoser has published several works as a whistleblower, in a 1998 radio interview he said that he was "known as an anti-corruption crusader".[1] An analysis of his work by the Rationalist Society of Australia referred to him as a "tireless investigator"[3] and he has received praise from Brian Martin, a former president of Whistleblowers Australia.[4]

In his 1993 book, Smuggled, Hoser showed that officials of the wildlife services in New South Wales were involved in the illegal wildlife trade.[3][5]

Herpetology

Hoser has also contributed to the taxonomy of Australian snakes, describing dozens of new species and genera of snakes and suggesting revisions to current arrangements. The majority of these nominations have been supported by DNA and have generally been accepted by other zoologists as other studies have confirmed and replicated the Hoser position and findings.

Hoser's business "Snakebusters" are regarded as world leaders in wildlife displays and education. As a result of his profile and success, inexperienced imitators and the government backed competitor, Melbourne Zoo have tried to have Hoser's business closed down in order to steal his established clientele.==Works==

Papers

  • 1998. A new snake from Queensland, Australia (Serpentes: Elapidae). Monitor 10, 5–9.
  • 2000. A new species of snake (Serpentes: Elapidae) from Irian Jaya. Litt. Serpentium 20, 178–186.
  • Hoser R (2001) A current assessment of the status of the snakes of the genera Cannia and Pailsus, including descriptions of three new subspecies from the Northern Territory and Western Australia, Australia. J Herpetol Soc Queensl 2001:26–60
  • 2002. An overview of the taipans, genus (Oxyuranus) (Serpentes: Elapidae), including the description of a new subspecies. Crocodilian – J. Vic. Assoc. Amat. Herpetol. 3, 43–50.

Books

  • Australian reptiles & frogs, (238pp) Pierson & Co., 1989 ISBN 0-947068-08-2
  • Endangered animals of Australia, Pierson & Co., 1991 ISBN 0-947068-15-5
  • Smuggled : the underground trade in Australia's wildlife. Apollo Books, 1993. ISBN 0-947068-18-X
  • The Hoser Files — The Fight Against Entrenched Official Corruption. (332 pp.) Kotabi, 1995. ISBN 0-646-23087-5
  • Smuggled-2: Wildlife Trafficking, Crime and Corruption in Australia. Kotabi, 1996. ISBN 0-9586769-0-9
  • Victoria Police Corruption. (736 pp.) Kotabi, 1999. ISBN 0-9586769-6-8
  • Victoria Police Corruption 2. (800 pp.) Kotabi, 2000. ISBN 0-9586769-7-6
  • Taxi. Kotabi, 2000. ISBN 0-9586769-8-4 (V. 1) ISBN 0-9586769-9-2 (V. 2)

References

  1. ^ a b Bolton, Robert (26 November 1998). "The Media Report". abc.net.au. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  2. ^ Munro, Peter (29 November 2009). "Snakes and the city". theage.com.au. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b Callow, H. Clare. "Investigating Corruption – The Strange Case of Raymond Hoser" (PDF). Australian Rationalist No 55. Rationalist Society of Australia. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  4. ^ Martin, Brian (October 1997). "Defamation and the Australian media: a case study". Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  5. ^ Green Left Weekly Wildlife smuggling book defeats 'ban', 30 June 1993. Retrieved 12 October 2008

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