Gordon Grigg enjoyed a career as an academic zoologist who managed to spend a lot of time in the field. After education in Queensland and at the University of Oregon he had 20 years at the University of Sydney and 20 years at the University of Queensland, where he is now an Emeritus Professor. His primary research interests are in vertebrate zoology and physiological ecology, particularly the thermal, respiratory, cardiovascular and salt and water balance physiology of reptiles and, through work on echidnas, hibernation and the evolution of endothermy. He has authored or co-authored about 200 peer-reviewed publications (of which about 50 are on crocodiles) and several books, the most recent, in 2015, being  a major reference work: Biology and evolution of crocodylians. He also has interests in the population ecology of kangaroos and rangeland ecology, informed by more than 20 years flying aerial surveys.