 The term "mole" is especially and most properly used for "true moles" of the Talpidae family in the order Eulipotyphla, which are found in most parts of North America, Europe and Asia, although it may also refer to unrelated mammals of Australia and southern Africa that have convergently evolved the "mole" body plan.The term is not applied to all "talpids"; e.g., desmans and shrew moles differ from the common definition of "mole".Moles are known pests to human activities such as agriculture, lawncare, and gardening.