Across:

2. A small mammal that is mostly gray with a black mask, has a bushy ringed tail, lives chiefly in trees and is active at night, and    

    eats a varied diet including small animals, fruits, eggs, and insects. They are unusual for their thumbs that enable them to open  

    containers such as garbage cans and doors.

4. Any of numerous cold blooded legless reptiles that have a long body and salivary glands often capable of producing venom

    which is injected through fangs. They are closely related to lizards. 

6. A large North American bird that is related to the domestic chicken and is domesticated in most parts of the world. (Usually

    eaten on Thanksgiving).

8. Large short-legged reptiles resembling crocodiles but having a shorter and broader snout.

9. Any of an order of arachnids that have two or more pairs of abdominal organs for spinning threads of silk used in making

    cocoons for their eggs, nests for themselves, or webs for catching their prey.

11. A large hawk that is dark brown above and mostly white below. Hoovers then plunges into water after fish.

12. American mammal with a bushy tail related to but smaller than the wolf. They are heard howling at night.

14. Any of a family of stout-bodied short-legged hoofed mammals that has a snout for a nose, small eyes, and a small, curly tail.

15. Any of a family of cloven-hoofed cud-chewing mammals of which the males of almost all species have antlers.

Down:

1. A reptile with a shell which encloses the body and into which the head legs and tail are usually withdrawn inside the shell. They   

   are known for moving extremely slow.

2. Any of various small burrowing mammals with long ears and short tails that move around by hopping.

3. Any of several water-dwelling mammals that are related to the weasels and badgers, have webbed feet with claws and dark

    brown fur that live in or near the water. They are usually playful and curious, but unwelcome on agricultural land because they

    alter river banks.

5. Any of several small burrowing mammals of warm parts of the Americas whose head and body are protected by hard bony

    armor made of thin boney plates called scutes. They are often killed by automobiles.

7. A North American bird which is mostly brown when young but has a white head, neck, and tail feathers when mature. This bird

    was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1782.

10. Domestic four-footed animals held as property or raised for use. Usually found on a farm or ranch for meat & dairy products.

13. Any of an order of birds of prey that are active mainly at night and that have a broad head, very large eyes, and a powerful

     hooked beak and claws. They sometimes symbolize knowledge and wisdom.