Cervical vertebrae
![](/Images/godic/202501/14/Cervical_vertebrae_lateral21027.png")
![](/Images/godic/202501/14/Gray841027.png")
![Side view of a typical cervical vertebra](/Images/godic/202501/14/Gray851027.png")
![Position of C7 shown in red.](/Images/godic/202501/14/C7_animation_small1027.gif")
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull.
Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also belong to the trunk, but do not carry ribs. In reptiles, all trunk vertebrae carry ribs and are called dorsal vertebrae.