For over 28 years Peter Harlow's career has involved a wide range of research projects in reptile ecology, physiology and conservation, based mostly at the University of Sydney, but also at the University of NSW, Macquarie University and Taronga Zoo. He has published 57 reptile-specific scientific papers in international, refereed journals which include 27 publications on lizards, 25 on snakes, four on crocodiles plus others on turtles and frogs.

For the past decade Peter has been working closely with the National Trust for Fiji on the conservation of the endemic, critically endangered Fijian Crested Iguana, and continues to co-supervise a post-graduate student working on this project. At Taronga Zoo he and Michael McFadden co-ordinate frog conservation projects on three critically endangered species; the Southern Corroboree Frog, the Booroolong Frog and the recently "re-discovered' Yellow-spotted Bell Frog. 

Peter is the Manager of the Herpetofauna Division at Taronga Zoo, the International Zoo Stud Book keeper for the Fijian Crested Iguana, the only Australian member of the IUCN Iguana Specialist Group, and is a member of the National Trust for Fiji's 'Steering Committee' for the implementation of the IUCN Fijian Crested Iguana Recover Plan.