za.chal describes creatures moving close to the ground, as serpents and earthbound creatures do.

The two attested participial uses describe creatures moving close to the ground: serpents in Deuteronomy 32:24 and serpent-like creatures upon the earth in Micah 7:17.

1. Ground-level movement of creatures · dominant

   Both occurrences use an active participial plural form for creatures identified by their movement. In Deuteronomy 32:24 the APB renders serpents that “crawl in the dust”; in Micah 7:17 it renders creatures that “crawl upon the earth” alongside the serpent.

   Deuteronomy 32:24Micah 7:17

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the creatures as those that “crawl in the dust” in Deuteronomy 32:24 and “crawl upon the earth” in Micah 7:17. These are clause-level renderings rather than definitions.