Dr. Terence Farrell, Ph.D., was born in Morristown, New Jersey and began catching ring-necked snakes and red-backed salamanders in his backyard four years later. He received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Oregon State University, studying the ecology of algae and invertebrates on rocky shores. He then did postdoctoral research at Stanford University for two years. Since 1989, he has been a faculty member at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida where he typically teaches Ecology, Biostatistics, and Invertebrate Zoology. He is the recipient of the McEniry Award, Stetson’s highest award for outstanding teaching, and currently holds the endowed Hyatt and Cici Brown Chair in Biology.  

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For three decades, Terry has studied the biology of pygmy rattlesnakes in the lab and in the field with a series of talented collaborators and dedicated groups of Stetson students. Their published research includes papers on foraging behavior, parental behavior, defensive behavior, demography, venom effects on prey, and the endocrinology of pygmy rattlesnakes. Much of his recent research focuses on two important conservation issues, snake fungal disease and invasive pentastome parasites.