The snake catcher is Raymond Hoser.
The snake handler has been doing snake removal and snake control for over 50 years.
In dealing with snakes and other reptiles for more than 50 years, Raymond Hoser has built a reputation as Australia's foremost snake expert.
Besides catching snakes on an industrial scale, in all parts of Australia, Raymond Hoser has led the world in various aras of science, research, conservation, education and even animal welfare.
In science he was the first person to make numerous amazing discoveries, published in various peer reviewed journals.
Included are world first breedings of various snakes and other species, identification of a distinctive hierarchy between species and even identifying the only species of snake on the planet known to have no immunity to venom from others of its own kind.
The research that ties in with the science has taken the snake catcher Raymond Hoser across the planet to museums and other important facilities, where he has collaborated with scientists in many discimplines.
In terms of wildlife conservation, Hoser's nine major books have all put wildlife conservation on cente stage, not just in Australia, but globally.
His books, Endangered Animals of Australia, Smuggled: The underground trade in Australia's wildlife and Smuggled-2:Willflife trafficking, crime and corruption in Australia forced a re-write of wildlife laws which have in turn saved countless thousands of reptiles and other animals.
In fact no one has ever made as great a contribution to wildlife conservation in Australia as Raymond Hoser.
Also known as The Snake Man, Raymond Hoser, has also discovered and named more species of reptile and frog than anyone else in Australian history, being over 210 species in all.
He has also dicovered and named hundreds of others, outside Australia, that total being even larger, meaning he has named more reptiles than anyone else alive, or born on the last 150 years.
No species can be conserved or managed until they are formally identified and named, making Hoser's contributions here simply unmatched!
Raymond Hoser also invented the educational kids reptile party, which was lampooned by many people for many years.
Sticking to his guns, Hoser promoted the reptile parties business model and now these and things like them are done by businesses worldwide.
Turns out the best way to educate kids about reptiles and other wildlife is when they are having fun!
Now as for animal welfare, Raymond Hoser's credentials are unmatched at all levels.
The obvious contribution is his saving lives of snakes that would otherwise be killed.
As the first government-licensed snake catcher in Australia's history, Raymond Hoser gave a viable alternative to the killing of venomous snakes when they enter people's homes.
Removal, relocation and rehabilitation became news words in the local language for dealing with snakes.
Again, Hoser's business model has been copied globally and now there are full time snake catchers in most parts of the world.
The world first successful surgical devenomization of the world's deadliest snakes, was not just a scientific breakthrough, but perhaps the largest ever single contribution to animal welfare Raymond Hoser ever made.
Originally designed to keep handlers safe from venomous snakes when used in public wildlife displays and reptile shows, the devenomized snakes had the great advantage of being able to be treated with care and respect and not stick handled or tormented as is the case for other normal venomous snakes.
Snakes turn to like being handled as opposed to be in fear of any human that comes near them.
The contrast is stark.
But perhaps the greatest spin off and advantage of devenomized snakes is their use for Canine snake avoidance training.
This is teaching dogs to avoid snakes.
Snake aversion training can only be successfully done using the devenomized snakes.
Nothing else works remotely as well, if at all.
Over some decades, Raymond Hoser, working with the best dog trainers in Australia, have now saved thousands of dogs lives, teaching dogs to run from snakes instead of attacking them.
The thousands of snakes lives saved are an added benefit.
Raymond Hoser owns the registered trademark for the words, snake catcher, but is casual about others using it to describe their trade.
He just asks that people only use the words to describe themselves if they are doing the right thing.
That is acting ethically, not spreading lies about snakes and not undermining the conservation work of Raymond Hoser and his team.
But in terms of Australia,. when the word snake catcher is used, most people immediately think of Raymond Hoser.
