" 

 == Kosher == 

 I undid Kuratowski's ghost's edit (sorry...).  It's not so interesting whether or not the hyrax is kosher - unless you want to hunt or breed them, and they're a protected species in Israel so you can't do either anyway.  What's interesting is the issue of whether they chew the cud or not.  This is both for zoological and theological reasons.  Firstly, because their digestive system is rather complex and they do not strictly chew cud (ruminate), nor do they coprphage like rabbits.  An explanation for the chewing motions is given under Characteristics, but I'm not sure I subscribe to it - from personal observations, when they're threatened they'd sooner try to bite your finger off, lol.  From a religious perspective, it raises questions about the breadth of zoological available to the authors of the Bible (see the reference ""The Camel, the Hare and the Hyrax"" for more information on this) or, if you subscribe to divine authorship, what was God's intention by presenting this tantalising information.  Therefore, I think the reference to cud chewing should remain.   "