Anna Martinez, age 11, of Tohatchi, N.M., for her question:

ARE ALL COYOTES BAD?

The coyote is a wild member of the dog family. You'll find him living in many of the wide open spaces of western North America from Alaska to Panama.

Standing from 16 to 21 inches high at the shoulder, the coyote has a bushy tail and erect ears. His fur is extremely soft and is light yellow or yellowish gray in color, often tipped with black. He's sometimes called the prairie wolf and has a habit of giving eerie howls, usually in the early evening.

The coyote eats rats, gophers, rabbits and animals he finds dead. He sometimes kills stray sheep, calves or chickens and is therefore often hunted by farmers and ranchers. Most wildlife experts agree, however, that he does much more good by destroying rodents than he does harm as a farm pest. Put him down in the "good guy'' division.