A zoo allows one to visit Mother Nature's progeny without roughing it on a safari or catching a cold in the drafty straw home of the dimmest of the three little pigs. Take a walk on the wild side free of wolf's-breath breezes with today's Groupon: for $10, you get two general-admission tickets to Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo in New Braunfels (up to a $21.11 value). Admission is free for children age 2 and under.

Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo houses more than 500 live mammal and reptile residents, from lemurs and laughing hyenas to slithery rattlesnakes and sharp-toothed alligators. Zoo-goers of all ages can nuzzle up to fuzzy animals in the petting zoo or make fish faces at the caged exotic hoof stock. A dizzying array of gratis special events invite guests to attend riveting talks chock-full of knowledge on the zookeepers' favorite animals, witness crocodile feedings, and ponder tortoises' analyses of Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy.

The 44-year-old zoo opens its gates seven days a week. Day-trippers can bring cameras to capture the memories of the day, but should leave butterfly nets and bear traps at home. For a sneak peek at the snake farm, check out the zoo's spot on Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs.