Harry Greene

I am a Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. A recipient of the E.O. Wilson Award from the American Society of Naturalists, my book Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature (UC Press), won a PEN Literary Award and was a New York Times Notable Book. My recent book, Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as Art (UC Press) is both an autobiography and a celebration of beauty in nature. More than a memoir, the book is about the wonder of snakes, the beauty of studying and understanding natural history, and the importance of sharing the love of nature with humanity. My primary conceptual interests are behavioral evolution, community ecology, and conservation biology, and I am especially interested in mammals, lizards, and snakes, particularly vipers. Main research techniques include direct observation, facilitated by radiotelemetry, and use of museum specimens for information on distribution, diet, and reproductive biology. My work takes place mostly in Latin America and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, addressing questions such as the origin of the rattle, factors controlling local and regional species richness, and ways that science enhances nature appreciation. I teach a variety of courses at Cornell including: BioEE 4700 Herpetology, BioEE 1780 Evolutionary Biology and Diversity, and BioEE 6602 Graduate Field Course in Ecology.