Though moles are rarely seen, they live in close proximity to humans around the world. Gardeners and farmers go to great lengths to remove molehills from their fields and gardens; mole-catching has been a profession for the past two millennia. Moles are also close to our imagination, appearing in myths, fairy tales, and comic books as either wealthy, undesirable grooms or seekers of enlightenment. In Mole, Steve Gronert Ellerhoff examines moles in nature as well as their representation throughout history and across cultures. Balancing evolution and ecology with photographs and artworks, Ellerhoff provides a veritable mountain of new insight into this exceedingly private mammal.

Steve Gronert Ellerhoff is the author of many books, including Post-Jungian Psychology and the Short Stories of Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut: Golden Apples of the Monkey House. He lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Preface 1 The Evolution of Moles 2 The Nature of Moles 3 Scientific Study of Moles 4 Moles in Myth and Folklore 5 Allegorical Moles 6 Moles in Literary and Popular Culture 7 The Hunted Mole Epilogue: Making Mountains of Molehills References Timeline Select Bibliography Associations and Websites Acknowledgements