We humans share the earth with some truly remarkable creatures, including the giraffe. While these herbivores are the tallest living animals alive today, they share a surprising commonality with us and most other mammals.

A tall male giraffe’s neck is about seven feet long, and that also happens to be the number of cervical vertebrae (or neck bones) inside it. The vast majority of known mammals, including humans, also have seven cervical vertebrae; one of the few exceptions is the sloth, which can have six or nine.

However, giraffe cervical vertebrae do differ from human ones in important ways. Firstly, each vertebrae is much longer than a human’s, and secondly, they are all connected with ball-and-socket joints. This structure gives giraffe necks a wide range of motion, allowing them to engage in “neck battles” during the mating season.