This word denotes a type of lizard, appearing in Leviticus 11:30 among the swarming creatures declared unclean. It's listed with several other reptiles (gecko, monitor lizard, wall lizard, skink, chameleon), though precise species identification remains uncertain. The Septuagint translates it as "χαλαβώτης" and the Vulgate as "stellio." Later Hebrew retains the same meaning. Natural historians have suggested various lizard species common in Palestine, though exact identification is less important than understanding these creatures were forbidden as food.