There are 7 cervical vertebrae in the human vertebral column. They are characterized by:
a) a large foramen (transervarium) in each transverse process (passage of vertebral artery and vein);
b) short, bifid spinous processes - C3-6;
c) a modified C1 and C2;
The cervical vertebrae are the 7 most superior vertebrae, and C1 supports the skull. Tap on the cervical vertebrae in the image below and they will appear shaded red.
Most all mammals have 7 cervical vertebrae regardless of whether they are a giraffe, a mouse, or a human...neck length is correlated to length of the cervical vertebrae.