Richard Whitekettle, «Rats are Like Snakes, and Hares are Like Goats: A Study in Israelite Land Animal Taxonomy», Vol. 82 (2001) 345-362

Israelite taxonomic thought drew a contrast between a land animal taxon referred to by the words Cr#$ or #&mr that contained animals such as rats and snakes (Land Animals I), and a land animal taxon referred to by the words hmhb or hyx that contained animals such as hares and goats (Land Animals II). This essay shows that the Land Animals I taxon was characterized by locomotory movement in the horizontal plane and the Land Animals II taxon was characterized by locomotory movement in the vertical plane. Thus, the contrast was between land animals that were perceived to move along the ground (Land Animals I) and land animals that were perceived to move over the ground (Land Animals II).

        The sprawling stance can be seen in drawing on the left and the upright stance can be seen in drawing on the right¹⁷:

        The sprawling stance is characteristic of the class of vertebrate animals known in Western taxonomy as reptiles. The upright stance is characteristic of the class of vertebrate animals known in Western taxonomy as mammals. Legged invertebrates, like the spider, scorpion, centipede and millipede have a sprawling stance like that of reptiles. This can be seen in the following transverse plane drawings of a generalized arthropod (on left) juxtaposed with that of a dog (on right), an animal with an upright stance¹⁸:

        Thus, the sprawling stance is characteristic of reptiles and invertebrates, which, according to the Israelite inventory listed above, are assigned to the Land Animals I taxon; the upright stance is characteristic of mammals, which, according to the Israelite inventory listed above, are assigned to the Land Animals II taxon. The question is, why were the rat and the mouse, both of which are mammals, assigned to the Land Animals I taxon?

        Zoological research has revealed that, though many mammals