Hyrax

 Procavia Heterohyrax Dendrohyrax

Characteristics

Hyraxes are short-legged, well-furred, rotund creatures with a mere stump for a tail. They are about the size of a domestic cat; most measure between 30 and about 70 cm long and weigh between 2 and 5 kg. From a distance and with a little imagination, a hyrax could be mistaken for a very well-fed rabbit—indeed, early Phoenician navigators mistook the rabbits of the Iberian Peninsula for hyraxes (Hebrew Shapan); hence they named it I-Shapan-im, meaning "land of the hyraxes", which became to the Latin word "Hispania", the root of Spains modern Spanish name España and the English name Spain. Also, most of the rabbits mentioned in English Bible translations were actually hyraxes, as early translators could not come up with a specific word for these animals, which were unknown in Europe at that time.

Related Topics:
Rabbit - Phoenicia - Iberian Peninsula - Hebrew - Hispania - Spain

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