John Paul Richard Thomas (born 1938) is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (San Juan, Puerto Rico). He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquÃÂ (Eleutherodactlys coqui), the national animal of Puerto Rico.
Thomas was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, on May 2, 1938. At the University of South Florida, Thomas graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1969. Later, he went to Louisiana State University and obtained a PhD in 1976.
Thomas' research has focused mostly on amphibians and reptiles, spanning several fields from natural history to systematics and evolution. His studies have yielded descriptions of new species of dwarf geckos (Sphaerodactylus), blind snakes (Scolecophidia), and rain frogs (Eleutherodactylus).
During his career as herpetologist, Thomas has described more than 60 new species. A non-comprehensive list of described new species includes:
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a different genus.
Richard Thomas is honored in the scientific names of several lizards, namely Liolaemus thomasi, Anolis equestris thomasi Schwartz 1958, Leiocephalus lunatus thomasi Schwartz 1967, and Sphaerodactylus microlepis thomasi Schwartz 1965.