An adult African giraffe has four stomach chambers. Like cattle and other ruminants, giraffes ferment plant food before bringing it back up to chew again as cud.
The four compartments are the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. Microorganisms in the rumen help break down tough leaves, while later chambers process the material and absorb nutrients. This system allows giraffes to obtain energy from fibrous vegetation.
A giraffe’s long neck does not give it an extra stomach. Its neck contains seven cervical vertebrae, the same basic number found in most mammals, but each vertebra is greatly elongated. Giraffes commonly browse on acacia and other trees using a prehensile tongue.