The eight-acre Staten Island Zoo long ago garnered a rather strange claim to fame: It was the first zoo ever to assemble an exhibit ofall 32 varieties of rattlesnakes known to occur in the United States; by the 1960s the zoo maintained the most complete rattlesnake collection in the world with 39 varieties on display! Student groups lammin’ it East Coast Style won’t want to bypass this favorite attraction, ranked by Wall Street Journal as the best small zoo in New York City. Staten Island Zoo is happy home to an astonishing 350 species including a gorgeous pair of the world’s rarest cats: Valeri and Kolya, handsome Amur Leopard brothers. You’ll also encounter mobs of Meerkats, frolicking Fossas, and precocious Red Pandas – your favorites are all here, but let’s not forget humble beginnings; you’ve got to see the chilly dudes, too. Respect! Boasting an impressive menagerie of fish and reptiles, rattlesnakes are still a specialty; step into the “Fear Zone” if you dare – but be warned, it’s no place for the faint of heart. A wonderful petting zoo encourages less-terrifying, meaningful interaction with its more docile warm-blooded and furry Kingdom Animalia residents – and a friendly and knowledgeable staff encourage and promote an entertaining and educational visit. Perhaps the zoo’s most famous resident is Staten Island Chuck, the official Ground Hog Day forecaster for New York City; the fine mounts ridden by Parks Department Enforcement Officers while patrolling the parks and woods of Staten Island also call the Zoo “home sweet stable.” Grab your group and hop a ferry for a one-of-kind “zoostravaganza,” Staten Island style!