There are four distinct species of giraffes, but they all have the same number of bones. Looking at a giraffe’s neck, in particular, can lead to some wild speculation about its bones because it seems like there should be quite a few.
However, looks can be deceiving, and giraffes are hiding a strange secret inside their most famous feature. How many bones does a giraffe have?
A giraffe has 208 bones throughout its body, which is only 2 more than humans. They have 7 bones or cervical vertebrae in their long neck, but the rest of their back has several different types of bones which include vertebrae, ribs, and the sacral foramina. Giraffes have 4 prominent bones in their legs which include the metacarpal, radius, ulna and humerus.
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How Many Bones In A Giraffe Neck
Giraffes have seven bones in their necks. Surprisingly, that is the same number of bones you or I have in our necks. The difference isn’t the number but the size of those bones. Each neck bone in a giraffe can be up to ten inches long.
Despite its length, a giraffe’s neck has incredible flexibility and resilience. These fantastic creatures can bend their necks into U shapes and wobble them around like slinkies. The sight is a little disturbing but incredible nonetheless.
According to Animals How Stuff Works, “…the vertebrae in the neck, called the cervical vertebrae… are bound together with ball-and-socket joints. These are the kinds of joints that link your arm with your shoulder and offer a 360-degree range of motion. Also, the joint between its neck and skull permits the giraffe to extend its head almost completely perpendicular to the ground.”
The unusual connections in a giraffe’s neck allow it such extreme flexibility. These animals’ long necks are used for much more than merely reaching tall tree leaves.
If you have never seen how giraffes fight each other, I strongly recommend this video of a giraffe neck-fight.
Typically only the male giraffes fight with their necks, though females can make the same motions. The fighting males may even use their horns for a more concentrated strike. Amusingly, this practice is called necking.
How Many Bones Does A Giraffe Have In Its Legs
Giraffes have 4 prominent bones in their legs. The metacarpal on the bottom is the longest and sturdiest. Above the metacarpal is the radius and ulna, which make up the top visible portion of the animals’ leg.
At the top of their legs, inside the torso, are humerus bones that correlate to human thigh bones, but this majestic creature is set up differently to distribute its massive weight.
Due to their size and mass, giraffes have evolved the bones in their legs to hold them up. Despite the spindly appearance, giraffe leg bones are powerful.
Plus, they have connective tissues called suspensory ligaments, which are made of elastic tissue instead of muscle. This unusual adaptation lets the giant mammals stand and walk with less fatigue.
How Many Bones Does A Giraffe Have In Their Body
A giraffe has a total of 208 bones distributed throughout their bodies. By comparison, an adult human has two hundred and six bones, though ours are smaller. The horns on giraffe’s heads are also made of bone.
According to the Oakland Zoo, “Giraffe ‘horns’ are not actually called horns, but ‘ossicones’ and both female and male giraffe have them. Ossicones are formed from ossified (hardened into bone) cartilage and are covered in skin.”
The ossicones on a female giraffe are typically thinner than the males and tufted with fur, while the males have bald-topped and thinner furred ossicones from fighting with them.
How Many Bones Does A Giraffe Have In Its Back Bone
A giraffe has 7 bones or cervical vertebrae in its neck, but the rest of its back has several different types of bones. These include vertebrae, ribs, and the sacral foramina, among others.
Since most people focus on the unusually long neck, there’s not much information published to the general public about the other bones.
Even exotic vets trained for unique animal biology may never see a giraffe in their career, let alone take an x-ray or study their skeleton. Most giraffe studies take place exclusively in Africa, where the giraffes live.
According to the Veterinary Medicine Journal, “The thoracic vertebrae are fourteen, with an even width on the spinal processes…The lumbar vertebrae are five, with well-developed but short bodies… The sacrum contains four vertebrae incompletely merged, smaller than in the cow, with higher but narrower spinous processes. There are three superior and inferior sacral foramina… The coccygeal vertebrae are 18 with long and fine bodies… The giraffe displays 14 pairs of ribs, eight sternal and six floating… The sternum contains 7 sternebrae…”
Do Giraffes Have The Same Amount Of Bones As Humans
Giraffes almost have the same amount of bones as a human. You and I have 206 bones in our bodies. However, the giraffe has two hundred and eight.
The additional two are atop its head in the ossicones. Oddly, they only have these bones for part of their lives as younger giraffes have not yet grown the solid bone core that will connect to their heads at sexual maturity.
A human with polydactyly (an extra finger) would have one more bone than a giraffe. Notably, most mammals have almost the same number of bones as well.
Helpful Tips To Know About How Many Bones A Giraffe Has
Giraffes have a pretty standard number of bones for all their incredible size, but theirs are larger than most. Since an adult giraffe can weigh hundreds of pounds, they need sturdy bones more than extras.
Here are a few more helpful tips to know about how many bones a giraffe has.
- It is legal to buy giraffe bones online. However, the hunting or finding practices are usually not shared openly, so it may be a terrible idea. You don’t want to accidentally support poaching, especially considering two of the giraffe species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as critically endangered.
- A giraffe’s neck can weigh six hundred pounds and reach an incredible eight feet long. Sadly, this is not long enough to reach the ground, so giraffes do not eat grass even though it’s an abundant food source for many other animals that share the giraffe’s habitat.
- People use giraffe bones to carve handles, knives, and even grips for guns. Additionally, both African artists and others worldwide find these large bones ideal for creating bone art. Notably, since 2019 it requires extra paperwork for local exporters to ply their trade and send these bones, but anyone can have them.
- Although they are herbivores, giraffes will chew on the bones of other creatures. Unfortunately, these gentle giants are prone to nutritional deficiencies due to their massive size. As a result, giraffes may lick or eat old bones to obtain the phosphorous and calcium they need for their bodies.
Final Thoughts
Giraffes are so unusual looking it leads people to speculate a lot about how different they are from other species.
Looks aside, a giraffe has the same two hundred plus bones that almost all mammals share. Intriguingly, the most uncommon bones in a giraffe are those in its horns.
Although the bones in a giraffe’s spine and legs are unique, their size and how they connect make them special.
