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).

have an upright limb posture (e.g., the goat, gazelle, camel, jackal, hyrax, and hare), many have a more sprawling limb posture¹⁹. Of relevance to the present study, the rat and the mouse have a limb posture that is closer to the sprawling type²⁰. This, then, would explain the placement of the rat and the mouse in the Land Animals I taxon rather than in the Land Animals II taxon.

        In summary, a contrast between sprawling limb posture and upright limb posture would explain the placement of the following animals in Israel’s two Land Animal classes²¹: