Connie Collins, age 7, of Dellvale, Kansas, for her question:

Does the mole belong to the rat family?

Mr, Mole is not at all related to the rats and mice, or their cousins the squirrels and gophers. They are the rodents, or gnawing animals. The name of his family order is Insectivora, which means the insect eaters. He does not have the special gnawing teeth that the rodents have.

His ancestors were living in the days pf the dinosaurs and he related to the funny Little shrew who looks like a mouse, but is not a mouse. The prickly hedgehog who lives in Europe is also a cousin of busy Mr. Mole.