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).
In Land Animals with an upright limb stance, all limb segments move more or less under the body. This can be seen in the following lateral view of a horse in successive phases of its stride24:
Land Animals that have a sprawling stance often exhibit lateral bending, or a side to side movement of their trunk as they propel themselves along the ground 25. This can be seen in the following drawings of a dorsal view of successive phases of a lizard stride26: