Everything about giraffes is long, especially their neck. That long neck allows giraffes to browse in the highest branches and see incredible distances. It can also be a challenge: have you ever watched a giraffe drink water? Their neck is so long that they can’t just bend their heads down to drink, they actually have to brace their legs in a wide stance in order to reach the water. With such a long neck, it might be surprising to learn that giraffes actually have the same number of vertebrae in their necks as humans do! Humans have 7 vertebra in their necks, and while those in a giraffes neck are much larger, there are also only seven in a giraffes neck. Each vertebra in a giraffes neck can be as long as 10 inches!! With the seven vertebrae, that means a giraffe’s neck can be over 6 feet long!

Talk about a long neck!