Raymond Hoser

In spite of the excellent reclassification of the Lacertidae by Arnold et al. (2007), now widely accepted by most herpetologists, two genera as widely recognized consist of taxa sufficiently divergent to warrant being placed in their own genera. Molecular studies indicate that the most divergent species within the genera Phoenicolacerta Arnold et al. 2007 and Timon Tschudi, 1836 as recognized to date, diverged from other species within their genus about 10 Million years ago. Coupled with significant morphological differences, this makes a compelling case for the divergent taxa to be placed in new genera. As there are no available names, the relevant taxa are herein placed within genera newly named according to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (Third edition) (Ride et al. 1999). The species Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (Werner, 1929) is also sufficiently divergent from others within the tribe Eremiadini to warrant being placed within its own monotypic trib...

The genus Mixophyes Günther, 1864 as currently recognized consists of 7 East Australian and one southern New Guinea species of frog. There are no currently recognized subspecies. Frogs currently treated as being of the species M. fasciolatus have long been known to consist of a number of geographically isolated populations. Inspections of relevant frogs has shown that there are consistent morpholological differences between adult frogs in each population and due to their obvious reproductive isolation, it makes sense that they should be treated as full species. This paper herein formally describes two new species within the M. fasciolatus species group. These are M. shireenae sp. nov. from near Mackay in Queensland and M. couperi sp. nov. from Kroombit Tops in Queensland. The divergent member within the genus as currently recognized, namely M. iteratus Straughan, 1968, is herein placed in a new subgenus Paramixophyes subgen. nov.. The species M. iteratus appears to be found in three...

This paper revises the taxonomy of the two closely related lizard families Gerrhosauridae Fitzinger, 1843 and Cordylidae Mertens, 1937. This revision is as a result of an assessment of previously published material combined with in situ observations of relevant taxa in the African region and a number of preserved specimens of most previously described species-level taxa within the group. In order to make the classification consistent within both groups and as compared to other squamate families, a number of new tribes, genera and the like are erected in accordance with the Zoological Code (Ride et al. 1999). Gerrhosaurus Wiegmann, 1828 is split three ways, with two new genera named for the first time. The remaining species in Gerrhosaurus are split between three subgenera, for which there are already available names, all used herein. Genera within the subfamily Gerrhosaurinae Lang, 1991 are in turn grouped within three newly defined and named tribes, one being split into two subtrib...

The observations made regarding night movement in diurnal skinks, common in urbanized parts of south-east Australia are discussed. Under exceptional circumstances, including heavy rain, nocturnal activity by diurnal species may occur, and may take place a varying number of times.

The Genus Egernia Gray, 1838 has been defined and redefined by many authors since the time of original description. Defined at its most conservative is perhaps that diagnosis in Cogger (1975) and reflected in Cogger et al. (1983), with the reverse (splitters) position being that articulated by Wells and Wellington (1985). They resurrected available genus names and added to the list of available names at both genus and species level. Molecular methods have largely confirmed the taxonomic positions of Wells and Wellington (1985) at all relevant levels and their legally available ICZN nomenclature does as a matter of course follow from this. However petty jealousies and hatred among a group of would-be herpetologists called the Wüster gang (as detailed by Hoser 2015a-f and sources cited therein) have forced most other publishing herpetologists since the 1980’s to not use anything Wells and Wellington. Therefore the most commonly “in use” taxonomy and nomenclature by published authors d...

A review of the taxonomy of the New World boids finds several genera as currently recognized to be paraphyletic. There are available genus names for those species within genera that have been found to be composite, should they be split to ensure monophyletic genera. The only potential exception to this is within the genus Eunectes Wagler, 1830 as currently recognized. There is a strong argument in favor of splitting the so-called Yellow Anacondas away from the so-called Green Anacondas, at the genus level as a result of clear and consistent differences between the relevant taxa. This paper formalizes this division by taking a conservative position and naming and defining a new subgenus, Maxhoserboa subgen. nov. for the Yellow Anaconda and related species.

Molecular studies have resolved many questions in terms of the relationships between the world’s living Turtles, Terrapins and Tortoises, collectively grouped within the order Testudines. However the taxonomy has not necessarily been updated accordingly. This paper presents a revised and updated taxonomy and nomenclature for the Alligator Snapping Turtles (genus Macrochelys Gray, 1856) of North America. Formally named are one (1) new tribe, one (1) new species and one (1) new subspecies, according to the Zoological Code (Ride et al. 1999).

In spite of Melbourne and environs being Australia’s second largest city (population in excess of 4 million people, (CSIRO 2008), inhabited for about 200 years and heavily collected for reptiles, most published information about Melbourne’s snakes in terms of what are the locally occurring species is factually incorrect. The basis of this is a regular misidentification of common taxa by persons professing knowledge of them, combined with publication of the same by authors based on this misinformation. For the first time ever, this paper reports that within a 35 km radius of the Melbourne CBD, there are just six naturally occurring snakes, namely, Tiger (Notechis scutatus), Copperhead (Austrelaps superbus), Brown (Pseudonaja textilis), (the larger taxa) and White-lipped (Drysdalia coronoides), Small-eyed (Cryptophis nigrescens) and Little-whip (Unechis flagellum), (the smaller taxa). The Red-bellied Black Snake, (Pseudechis porphyriacus), often referred to simply as “Black Snake” (in...

Despite the obvious interest of Crocodilians to people and the fact that most living species are well-studied, the taxonomy of the living Crocodilians has been inconsistent with modern classification systems used for other vertebrates. This paper reviews Crocodiles and updates the taxonomy and nomenclature.

Until now, Tropidophiidae have consisted two well-defined groups, recognized as distinct at the genus level. Trachyboa Peters, 1860 consists of just two described species. The genus Tropidophis Bibron, 1840 contains about 32 currently recognized species, plus numerous subspecies. Within this group, six well-defined species groups have been known for some time. In the wake of recent molecular studies confirming divergence between these groups as well-defined clades, easily separated morphologically, the species groups are formally recognized in this paper for the first time by division into six genera. Due to the lack of available names for four, these are diagnosed and named according to the Zoological Code. Three genera are further subdivided into subgenera, one into four and two into three, all named according to the Zoological Code. Furthermore the two main groups within the family, namely Trachyboa as the first group and then the rest of the genera as the second group, are forma...

The family Pareatidae as recognized at start 2012, consisted of three widely recognized genera, namely Aplopeltura (one species), Asthenodipsas (3 species) and Pareas (eleven species). However numerous studies have shown that nine species within Pareas are widely divergent of the nominate species and another. This paper recognizes this divergence by formally creating and naming a new genus Katrinahoserserpenea gen. nov. for these species and also assigns a more divergent species to its own subgenus Dannyleeus subgen.nov. within this new genus according to the Zoological Code.

For most of the past 2 centuries the entire Leiolepidinae Fitzinger, 1843. has been treated as consisting of just two genera. These are: Leiolepis Cuvier, 1829 and Uromastyx Merrem, 1820. Based on the molecular results of Pyron et al. (2013) and others, Uromastycinae Theobold, 1868 is herein recognized as a subfamily being separate from Leiolepidinae, now treated as only including the genus Leiolepis. Ultimately both groups may warrant full family-level recognition. Recently, Wilms et al. (2009) commenced the long-awaited dissection of Uromastyx with the resurrection of Saara Gray, 1845 to accommodate the three most divergent species (as a clade) within the genus Uromastyx as popularly recognized. Noting that many authors have recognized distinctive species groups and/or clades as a result of detailed studies, this paper formalizes these results by revising the taxonomy of the extant members of the subfamily Uromastycinae. As a result, the genus Saara is divided into three genera, w...

The Asian genera Liopeltis Fitzinger, 1843 and Gongylosoma Fitzinger, 1843 as recognized at start 2013 have had a chequered taxonomic history, as outlined by Leviton (1964) for Liopeltis and Grismer et al. (2003) for Gongylosoma. Species previously assigned to both genera have been removed and placed elsewhere by various authors. However a review of the remaining species within both genera show that there is sufficient evidence to warrant further division of both genera on the basis of strong morphological and biological differences between members. As a result, in Liopeltis, what is perhaps the most divergent species is herein placed in its own monotypic genus, Rossnolanus gen. nov.. In terms of Gongylosoma the genus as recognized to date is divided three ways, with two new subgenera created and named according to the Zoological Code (Ride et al. 1999). In turn all relevant genera are placed in a new colubrid tribe, namely Rossnolaniini, that also includes other genera including sp...

This paper describes a new taxon from near Shepparton, Victoria, closely related to the species formerly known as “Lampropholis delicata”. At the same time, the entire group of skinks in the “delicata” group formerly placed in the genus Lampropholis Fitzinger 1843, are hereby placed into a new genus, namely Allengreerus gen. nov. The new species is herein described as Allengreerus ronhoseri sp. nov.

This paper reviews new phylogenetic studies of the Coral Snakes recently placed in the genus Sinomicrurus Slowinski et. al., 2001. The species japonicus is found to be sufficiently divergent from cogeners to warrant being placed in its own genus. As a result, this taxon is placed within the new genus Funkelapidus gen. nov, which is herein formally named and defined in accordance with the Zoological Code.

The Asian gecko genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768 as recognized by most herpetologists in 2018 includes a significant array of sometimes large and spectacular species. About 60 described forms are currently recognized as species. However others await resurrection from synonymy or formal scientific description for the first time, meaning that as of 2018, species diversity is underestimated. Various phylogenies published in the past decade (e.g. Heinicke et al. 2012, Pyron et al. 2013, Oliver et al. 2017) have shown the genus Gekko to be of ancient origin and other morphologically similar genera to place within the Gecko tree. Even species within Gekko sensu stricto Heinicke et al. (2012) show divergence between taxa in excess of 50 MYA., while Oliver et al. (2017) claim divergences well in excess of 30 MYA. Rather than merge dozens more disparate species into an even greater-sized genus, this paper is one of a series dividing the complex of genera into monophyletic species groups at the gen...

A new species of elapid snake of the genus Denisonia Krefft, 1869 from North West Queensland is formally described according to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The species has for many years been treated as a population of the species Denisonia devisi Waite and Longman, 1920 or occasionally as aberrant D. maculata (Steindachner, 1867). Distributionally and physically, these snakes sit more-or-less between the two. Denisonia devisi is primarily an inhabitant of black soil river flats associated with the Darling River and Northern Lake Eyre basins in inland Eastern Australia. D. maculatus is an inhabitant of Eastward flowing drainages in the dry zone between the south-east and North east Queensland wet zones, principally the Fitzroy and Burdekin River systems. This newly described taxon, Denisonia gedyei sp. nov. is primarily an inhabitant of the Flinders River system, draining into the Gulf of Carpentaria and may be more widely distributed than current...

Since 1970, the Solomon Islands elapid genus Salomonelaps McDowell, 1970 has been viewed by virtually all herpetologists as being comprised of a single variable species. Salomonelaps par (Boulenger, 1884) has not been subjected to any serious taxonomic scrutiny, since being described. The two species Hoplocephalus woodfordii Boulenger, 1888 and H. melanurus Boulenger, 1888 have been ignored by all authors since, except perhaps for Kinghorn (1928), Schmidt (1932) and Williams and Parker (1964), who recognized the species “par” and ”woodfordii” in their accounts. More recently when erecting the genus Salomonelaps, McDowell (1970) treated ”woodfordii” and “melanurus” as synonyms of “par”. However, inspection of specimens from the majority of islands Salomonelaps occurs confirms the belief of McCoy (2006) that populations are significantly different on various islands. This includes consistent differences in scalation, colouration, dentition and hemipene morphology and can be reliably u...

The genus Rhadinophis Vogt, 1922 as currently recognized consists of two species, namely R. frenatus Gray, 1853 and R. prasinus Blyth, 1854. As a result of recent molecular studies showing that the two species are not closely related, the genus is split two ways. The new genus for the species prasinus is the monotypic genus Katrinahoserea gen. nov. named and diagnosed according to the Zoological Code. The species frenatus is moved into the existing genus Rhynchophis Mocquard, 1897 for reasons explained within this paper.

This paper defines and names new taxa at the subspecies level within the broadly recognized species “Pseudonaja textilis” otherwise known as the “Eastern Brown Snake”. It also formally names hitherto unnamed, but widely recognized subspecies of P. guttata (otherwise known as the Speckled Brown Snake) and P. affinis (otherwise known as the Dugite) and all also commonly known in Australia as “Brown Snakes”. Furthermore a new subspecies of Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) from Irian Jaya and western Papua as well as a hitherto unnamed subspecies of Papuan Blacksnake Panacedechis papuanus from the same general region are also formally identified and named. The newly named taxa are: Pseudonaja textilis cliveevatti subsp. nov., Pseudonaja textilis leswilliamsi subsp. nov., Pseudonaja textilis rollinsoni subsp. nov., Pseudonaja textilis jackyhoserae subsp. nov., Pseudonaja guttata whybrowi subsp. nov., Pseudonaja affinis charlespiersoni subsp. nov., Oxyuranus scutellatus adelynhoserae subsp....

INTRODUCTION The so-called Jumping Pitvipers are native to Middle America and have gained their name due to their alleged ability to jump at a potential attacker. While this aspect of their behaviour and ability may be exaggerated, they are known to strike at birds flying in the air at close range. All of these snakes are extremely thick-bodied, with the species taxon A. nummifer being the most stout and the quite substantially more gracile A. picadoi the most slender. However, the greatest recorded length is for A. picadoi, with one specimen allegedly measuring 120.2 cm (47 inches) in total length. The head of these snakes is large, with relatively small eyes and a broadly rounded snout. The tail is short, not prehensile, and accounts for only about 15% of the total body length. The color pattern usually consists of a grey-brown or reddish brown ground color (sometimes yellow, cream, purplish brown or black) overlaid with a series of lateral and dorsal blotches. The shape of these ...

The process of group hibernation in a species of small skink and the reasons for this are discussed. Although lizards are regarded as cold-blooded, their limited biological activity does generate some heat, and grouping might offer protection from frosty conditions.

The sea snakes are perhaps one of the most over-classified groups of snakes in terms of major reviews of their species level and genus level taxonomy that have led to new taxonomic and nomenclatural configurations. Numerous authors have conducted wide-ranging audits of the genus-level taxonomy of the Hydrophiinae over the last century. The Hydrophiinae includes the majority of marine elapids. In the post 2000 period, among the quite divergent genus level taxonomies that have been proposed, are major splits as seen in the proposals of Kharin (2004) and Wells (2007). However, Hoser (2013) and this paper broadly follow the taxonomy of Sanders et al. (2012) and Ukuwela et al. (2012a, 2012b), who have merged many previously recognized genus groupings based on newly obtained molecular phylogenies. At the species level, numerous authors have applied names to any potentially different sea snakes in a bid to assert name authority on any potentially unnamed taxon (e.g. Kharin 2004 and earlier...

Recent studies of so-called “True Cobras” by different authors have been consistent in ascertaining the relationships between taxa. This includes the identifying of four major well-defined clades, the relationships of which had for a long time been confusing due to apparent convergence in recent evolution. Genus names are available for two of the four. The remaining two genera are formally diagnosed and named herein. Included within these newly identified and named genera are the majority of African species.

The species described as Hoplocephalus elapoides Boulenger, 1890, from Florida Island in the Solomon Since the original description, widely divergent specimens have been found across the Solomon Islands. However, no herpetologist has considered whether or not there is more than one species currently under this umbrella. Inspection of specimens from the majority of islands Loveridegelaps have been found shows significant variation between specimens and of sufficient basis to warrant division into separate species. This includes consistent differences in scalation, colouration and hemipene morphology and can be reliably used to separate each form. As a result, of an assessment of the snakes and the relevant available genetic evidence involving species affected by the same geographical barriers, e.g. lizards of the genera Corucia Gray, 1855 and Tribolonotus Duméril and Bibron, 1839 as detailed by Austin et al. (2010) and Hagen et al. (2012), and the geological evidence of relevance, it...

Abstract. The purpose of this application, under Articles 78.2.3 and 80.2.1 of the Code, is to confirm that the generic name Spracklandus Hoser, 2009 [23 March] for the African spitting cobras is available in the sense of the Code, and also that the work in which this genus was proposed met the Code's criteria of publication under Article 8.1. The Commission is asked to rule on these seemingly routine matters because widely promulgated recommendations by some herpetologists to use a junior objective synonym, Afronaja Wallach, Wüster & Broadley, 2009 [21 September], instead has resulted in instability in nomenclature.

A government licensed snake controller's report on rare cases of 'climbing' activity among elapid snake species Copperhead 'Austrelaps superbus' and Brown Snake 'Pseudonaja textiles' in the suburbs of Melbourne during 2003-2009 is presented. The incidents include a Brown Snake climbing into a car and a Copperhead found on the doorway of a restaurant.

... The species (as identified here) is known from all Australian States, however in the NT, it is only known from the McDonnell Ranges and adjacent areas to the north, including the Barkly Tableland, while a single specimen is known from WA (Gordon Downs, in the Kimberley ...

... Also and contrary to the malicious posts on the web just mentioned, all our venomoids have been inspected by Dr Rob Zelesco, a registered practicing veterinary surgeon of decades experience and accurately certified as such for several government authorities in several ...

The Neotropical genus Rhadinaea had an unstable taxonomic history until 1974, when Myers (1974) defined the genus and subdivided it into eight well-defined species groups. Since then, three of these species groups have been moved to their own genera under the available names Rhadinella Smith, 1941, Urotheca Bibron, 1843 and Taeniophallus Cope, 1895, while the rest of the genus Rhadinaea as generally known has been neglected by taxonomists. Relying on more recent molecular work on various species remaining within Rhadinaea senso lato and the original data of Myers and others, the remaining five species groups are herein subdivided into individual genera and three new subgenera. The genus groups are Rhadinaea for the vermiculaticeps group, and four new genera named and defined according to the Zoological Code. These are Alexteesus gen. nov. for the flavilata group, Wallisserpens gen. nov. for the decorata group, Robvalenticus gen. nov. for the taeniata group and Barrygoldsmithus gen. ...

The Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis (Bechstein, 1802) is a taxon that achieved notoriety after it was inadvertently introduced into the island of Guam. There it proceeded to breed in massive numbers and decimated the local lizards and avifauna (Rodda and Fritts 1992, Rodda and Savidge 2007). While various forms have been formally described, most authors have treated all as being variants of a single species. This remains the case even since a molecular study by Richmond et al. (2014) showed that there were deep phylogenetic divisions between populations. Rodda et al. (1999) and again Rodda and Savidge (2007) noted this incongruity and for nearly a decade since 2007, there has been no advancement in that position. Furthermore the anomaly becomes even more apparent when one reconciles this situation with that of another related species complex Dorisious dendrophila (Boie, 1827), formerly known as Boiga dendrophila (Boie, 1827), a Sundaland species for which local populations exhibi...

This is a rebuttal of a dangerous and dishonest blog by Hinrich Kaiser and eight other renegades. These are
Mark O’Shea, Wolfgang Wüster, Wulf Schleip, Paulo Passos, Hidetoshi Ota, Luca Luiselli, Brian Crother and
Christopher Kelly. It was published in Herpetological Review (Kaiser et al. 2013). The journal is edited by one
of the authors (Schleip) and the “paper” evidently bypassed all standard peer review and editorial quality
control as outlined in the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) ethics statement
(Anonymous 2013a), the SSAR being publisher.
Kaiser et al. make numerous false and defamatory statements against this author (Raymond Hoser) as part
of an obsessive 15-year campaign.
The claims made without evidence against Hoser are in fact shown to be true for the accusers.
These include, “evidence free taxonomy”, fraud, “unscientific taxonomic publications”, “taxonomic terrorism”,
plagiarisation, “unscientific taxonomy”, “unscientific practices”, “unscientific incursions” and “deliberate acts of
intellectual kleptoparasitism”.
Kaiser et al. seek to break and destroy the rules of Zoological Nomenclature (Ride et al. 1999) including the
three critical rules of:
1/ Homonymy (Principal 5, Article 52 and elsewhere),
2/ Priority (Principal 3, Article 23 and elsewhere),
3/ Stability (Principal 4, Articles 23, 65 and elsewhere),
as well as the ethics of the Code (Appendix A).
They seek to do this in the first instance by boycotting established nomenclature and the established rules in
a war plan that must by their own account run for decades (Kaiser et al. 2013, p. 20).
They then seek coin their own names for hundreds of taxa already properly named by others and attempting
to take credit for the research work of the earlier authors. This will create unprecedented taxonomic instability
and confusion.
Their actions will effectively:
1/ Freeze the progress of herpetological taxonomy and if copied, perhaps all of zoology;
2/ Put lives at risk;
3/ Increase the likelihood of extinctions of rarer taxa.
Their alleged loophole in the Zoological Code which they assert allows them to create hundreds invalid junior
synonyms to usurp the proper names, as quoted by them, does not in fact exist!
This is because Kaiser et al. misquoted the Zoological Rules in their badly written paper.
Furthermore the repeated claim by Kaiser et al. to have the official backing of the ICZN for their scheme is
also shown to be a lie.
Keywords: Hinrich Kaiser; Wulf Schleip; Wolfgang Wüster; Mark O’Shea; Peter Uetz; Raymond Hoser; Richard Wells;
Herpetological Review; Australasian Journal of Herpetology; Australian Biodiversity Record; Journal of Herpetology;
peer review; fraud; ethics; taxonomy; ICZN; rules; nomenclature; homonymy; priority; stability; synonym; boycott;
Leiopython; Laudakia; Adelynkimberlea; Spracklandus.