[2] In 1980, he brought several eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) eggs to the offices of The Sydney Morning Herald, where they hatched, an occurrence which Wells stated had never before been captured on film.
[3] By 1981, after working as a zoological specimen collector with several Australian museums, Wells had enrolled at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale where he was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology.
[4] Nonetheless, Wells maintained a mailing address at the university and his editorship with the Australian Journal of Herpetology, although he ceased communicating with its editorial board for two years.
[12] The objection to Wells' names was linked to similar concerns with the taxonomy proposed by fellow Australian Raymond Hoser, who had self-published numerous nomenclature changes in his own periodical.
"[13] Raymond Hoser bestowed the specific name Acanthophis wellsi on the Pilbara death adder, in honour of Wells and his taxonomic contributions.