Truth or Tail: Giraffe have more neck bones than a human.
Posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021
TALL TALE!
Even though the neck of a giraffe can be eight feet long and weigh up to 600 pounds, they only have seven neck vertebrae - the same number of neck bones that humans have! But unlike our vertebrae, each of theirs can be up to 10 inches long. These large vertebrae link together to form those famous long necks we all know and love. A giraffe’s long neck allows it to eat leaves high in the trees. This decreases food competition between them and other plant-eating animals. Their long necks also help them spot distant predators. Because of their unique vantage points, other grassland prey species will often look to giraffe for signs of incoming danger. Lastly, male giraffe will use their long necks to compete with other males. They do this by swinging their necks against each other in a behavior called ‘necking’. We do NOT recommend trying this at home…
