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You are here: Home / Animals / How Long is a Giraffe’s Neck and How Many Vertebrae Does a Giraffe Have in its Neck?

How Long is a Giraffe’s Neck and How Many Vertebrae Does a Giraffe Have in its Neck?

April 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

Giraffes have long necks which enables them to browse tree leaves which they love to eat.

How Long is a Giraffe's Neck and How Many Vertebrae Does a Giraffe Have in its Neck?

The African plains giraffe is the tallest mammal on earth.

This giraffe has a neck that extends up to eight feet above its shoulders.

The giraffe’s neck has seven highly lengthened vertebrae, the exact same number of vertebrae that every other mammal has.

However, some zoologists claim there are eight vertebrae in a giraffe’s neck, not seven as previously thought.

The vertebrae are separated by highly flexible joints, and the base of the neck has spines which protrude upward to form a hump over the shoulders and hold muscles that keep the neck upright.

Just goes to show you that size doesn’t always make a difference.

How is the weather up there spotty?

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  • How many more neck bones are there in a giraffe than in a human?
  • How Did the Ostrich Get Its Long Neck According To Kikuyu Mythology?
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Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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