Editing Mole (animal) (section)

===Pelts===
[[File:Debenham and Freebody ad 1921 1 ISaDN.jpg|thumb|Advertisement in ''[[Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News]]'', 1921]]
Moles' pelts have a velvety texture not found in surface animals. Surface-dwelling animals tend to have longer fur with a natural tendency for the [[nap (textile)|nap]] to lie in a particular direction, but to facilitate their burrowing lifestyle, mole pelts are short and very dense and have no particular direction to the nap. This makes it easy for moles to move backwards underground, as their fur is not "brushed the wrong way". The leather is extremely soft and supple. [[Queen Alexandra]], the wife of [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom]], ordered a mole-fur garment to start a fashion that would create a demand for mole fur, thereby turning what had been a serious pest problem in [[Scotland]] into a lucrative industry for the country. Hundreds of pelts are cut into rectangles and sewn together to make a coat. The natural color is [[taupe]], (derived from the French noun ''taupe'' meaning mole) but it is readily dyed any color.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.furcommission.com/Biology/furtypes.html#anchor625647 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721235302/http://www.furcommission.com/Biology/furtypes.html#anchor625647 |archive-date=21 July 2011 |title=Furs types in brief |publisher=furcommission.com}}</ref>

The term "[[moleskin]]" for a tough cotton fabric is in common use today.