diff --git a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-opentracing-shim/src/opentelemetry/ext/opentracing_shim/__init__.py b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-opentracing-shim/src/opentelemetry/ext/opentracing_shim/__init__.py
index 8cc28d2ed2d..537f89e515b 100644
--- a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-opentracing-shim/src/opentelemetry/ext/opentracing_shim/__init__.py
+++ b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-opentracing-shim/src/opentelemetry/ext/opentracing_shim/__init__.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def create_tracer(tracer):
-    return TracerShim(tracer)
+def create_tracer(otel_tracer):
+    return TracerShim(otel_tracer)
 
 
 class SpanContextShim(opentracing.SpanContext):