Top 10 Animals with the Most Stomachs on Earth

The giraffe is the tallest living animal on Earth and the largest ruminant species. These majestic creatures originate from Africa and have nine subspecies. Easily recognizable by their long necks and distinct spotted coat, giraffes can reach impressive heights of 20 feet, enabling them to reach leaves at the top of trees that other animals can't access.

They inhabit savannas and open woodlands, where they prefer to feed on acacia trees. With four stomach compartments, their first stomach is specialized for digesting the tough acacia leaves. Giraffes spend much of their day eating, consuming about 75 pounds of leaves daily. As ruminants, they frequently regurgitate and rechew their partially digested food for several hours.

A giraffe can consume about 34 kilograms of leaves each day. When stressed, they may chew tree bark. Despite being herbivores, giraffes have been observed scavenging, licking dried meat from bones. During the rainy season, they spread out due to an abundance of food, while in the dry season, they gather around the remaining evergreen trees and shrubs. Female giraffes tend to feed in more open areas, likely to detect predators more easily, although this may reduce their feeding efficiency. As ruminants, giraffes first chew their food, swallow it, and then regurgitate it from the stomach to the neck to chew it again, which helps to produce saliva during feeding. Giraffes require less food than many other herbivores because their diet of leaves is nutrient-dense and their digestive system is highly efficient. Their feces are small pellets. When it comes to water, giraffes drink only once every three days or so.

Giraffes have a significant impact on the trees they feed on, stunting the growth of young trees and creating a "waistline" around taller trees. They feed most during the early and late hours of the day, standing and chewing during the day and primarily chewing cud at night when they lie down.

The hippopotamus is a large semi-aquatic mammal native to Africa and is the third-largest land mammal in the world. With a unique appearance, they have a round body, short legs, and a large head with impressive tusks. Hippos live in and around lakes, rivers, and swamps, spending much of their time submerged in mud and water to stay cool. They are exceptional swimmers and, surprisingly, sometimes give birth underwater.

Hippos are primarily herbivores, feeding mainly on grass, although they can sometimes damage crops. They possess a special digestive system known as 'pseudo-ruminant,' which means they have three stomach compartments instead of four like true ruminants. This allows them to break down food in each compartment without having to chew it thoroughly like other ruminants.

These semi-aquatic mammals inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps of West Africa, where dominant males control stretches of river and lead herds of 5 to 30 females and calves. During the day, they stay cool by wallowing in water or mud, with reproduction also occurring in the water. At night, they emerge to graze on grass. While they rest close together in the water, their foraging activities are solitary and not territorial.

Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other land-dwelling even-toed ungulates, hippos are more closely related to whales and dolphins, sharing a common ancestor that diverged around 55 million years ago. The common ancestor of whales and hippos split from other even-toed ungulates about 60 million years ago. The earliest known hippopotamus fossils belong to the genus Kenyapotamus, which lived in Africa about 16 million years ago.

The ostrich is a large, flightless bird native to Africa. It is also the fastest bird on land, capable of reaching speeds of 43 miles per hour. There are two species of ostriches – the common ostrich and the Somali ostrich – both of which can grow up to 9 feet tall. Ostriches have small heads, long necks, and long legs. Males are black, while females are gray and brown, with both sexes having white wings and tails. They primarily live in savannas and deserts, feeding on a mix of seeds, grasses, shrubs, insects, and small lizards.

Ostriches have three stomachs, and they are especially unique due to their extremely long intestines. Lacking teeth, they swallow small stones to help grind their food. Their three stomachs allow them to digest various types of food without needing to chew thoroughly like other animals. The proventriculus is the stomach where they store stones and pebbles to assist in breaking down food. Some ostriches even carry stones weighing up to 2 pounds in their stomachs.

Ostriches are omnivores, meaning they eat a variety of plant and animal matter. Wild ostriches eat a diverse diet of plants, insects, and small animals, while farmed ostriches are typically fed a balanced diet that mimics their natural diet using commercially available feed.

Ostriches belong to a group of birds called 'gizzard birds,' literally meaning 'stone stomach.' Like many other birds, they do not have teeth, making digestion more challenging. To aid in digestion, they ingest stones, grit, or other small objects, which they store in a section of their stomach called the gizzard. These stones help grind up food, making it easier to digest. Over time, the stones wear down and eventually need to be replaced with new ones to maintain proper digestion.

The ostrich’s diet is primarily plant-based. In the wild, an ostrich's diet consists of about 60% plant matter, 15% fruits or legumes, 5% insects or small animals, and 20% grains, salts, and stones.

The camel is a remarkable animal known for the hump on its back and its ability to survive in the harsh desert conditions of Africa and the Middle East. There are three species still in existence today – the dromedary (one hump), the Bactrian (two humps), and the Wild Bactrian (also two humps). Camels have been domesticated for centuries and serve as a vital mode of transportation in desert regions.

Camels have adapted to hot environments in many ways, including the ability to survive without water for days. They achieve this by storing fat in their humps, which can be metabolized into water when needed. Camels have three stomachs, which allow them to extract as many nutrients as possible from the scarce, low-quality food they consume.

Camels can endure the extreme conditions of the desert thanks to their long, shaggy fur, which protects them from both the heat of the day and the cold of the desert night. Their large, tough feet help them navigate rough, rocky terrain or soft sand. Most importantly, they have developed ways to conserve water. Camels do not sweat, and they lose very little water during excretion. Even moisture in their noses is retained and redirected back into their mouths. A camel can walk for long periods across the desert, losing up to 40% of its body weight. However, the true secret to their survival is their hump.

Camels are often most famous for their humps. Contrary to popular belief, these humps do not store water. Instead, they are reserves of fatty tissue, while water is stored in their blood. This allows them to survive for extended periods without food or water. The fat in the humps is used when food is scarce, causing the hump to shrink and soften. Once water is available, a camel can drink large amounts to replenish the lost fluids. Unlike most mammals, camels have oval-shaped red blood cells, which allows for smoother circulation during dehydration. This also makes them better suited to withstand high osmotic pressure fluctuations without the cells rupturing. A camel weighing 600 kg (1,300 lbs) can drink up to 200 liters (53 gallons) of water in just three minutes.

Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals found worldwide. There are around 40 species of dolphins, inhabiting every ocean, with some species even living in freshwater rivers. They vary greatly in size, from species around 6 feet long to the orca, or killer whale, reaching lengths of 31 feet, which is actually a member of the dolphin family. Dolphins are capable of diving as deep as 1,000 feet and feed on a wide variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans.

Most dolphins have three stomachs, although some only have two. Since dolphins do not chew their food, the first stomach helps break down food into smaller portions, while the remaining digestion takes place in the second and third stomachs.

Dolphins, ocean-dwelling mammals closely related to whales, are found in oceans and rivers worldwide. There are nearly 40 dolphin species within 17 genera, most of which inhabit the oceans, with a few species living in rivers like the Yangtze, Amazon, Ganges, and others. Their sizes range from 1.2 meters (4 feet) and 40 kg (90 lbs) in species like the Maui dolphin, to 9.5 meters (30 feet) and 10 tons (9.8 imperial tons; 11 US tons) in species like the killer whale or black dolphin.

Dolphins are found all over the world and tend to inhabit shallow waters on the continental shelves. They are carnivorous, mainly feeding on fish and squid. The Delphinidae family, the largest family of oceanic whales, appeared around 10 million years ago in the Mid Miocene epoch. Dolphins are widely recognized as intelligent creatures and are well-known in human culture for their friendly and playful nature, often interacting joyfully with people.

The kangaroo is the largest member of the Macropodidae family, native to Australia and New Guinea. It has two stomach chambers and is a herbivore, primarily grazing on grass and occasionally shrubs. Although kangaroos regurgitate food and chew it again, they do not chew it as frequently as ruminants, as it is more difficult for them. Kangaroos are easily recognizable by their distinctive hopping movement, supported by powerful hind legs and a long tail. Remarkably, the largest kangaroos can reach a height of 8 feet and run at speeds up to 43 miles per hour.

Kangaroos have strong hind legs, a sturdy, long tail, and smaller front legs. They belong to the genus Macropus, meaning 'large foot.' Their large feet enable them to leap up to 9 meters in a single bound and reach speeds of up to 48 km/h. The tail plays an important role in balancing their body while hopping. Kangaroos are the tallest of the marsupial species, with some reaching over 2 meters in height.

Being herbivores, kangaroos have evolved specialized jaws. Their front teeth are designed to graze on grass close to the ground, while their molars cut and grind the tough grass into smaller pieces. The chemical compound 'silicon dioxide' in the grass wears down their teeth over time, leading to the gradual shedding and replacement of teeth. This process, known as polyphyodonty, occurs in some mammals, including sea elephants and manatees.

Kangaroos are primarily found in eastern Australia, where they live in groups of 50 or more. When threatened, they stomp their feet on the ground to warn of danger. They defend themselves by kicking and, at times, biting their opponents.

The crocodile is a large, carnivorous reptile native to regions in the Americas, Mexico, and China, often found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and swamps. Their coloration typically ranges from dark green to black with a white underside. With immense jaw strength, crocodiles can crush prey like turtles and small mammals. They possess two stomachs to aid in digestion: the first grinds the meal using stones, while the second has a highly acidic environment to break down the remaining food for absorption.

Crocodiles are incredibly quick over short distances, even on land. Equipped with powerful jaws and sharp teeth, they can tear flesh apart, but they cannot open their mouths if they are tightly shut, which has led to stories of people surviving attacks by holding their jaws closed. All large crocodiles also have strong, sharp claws. As ambush predators, they wait patiently for fish or terrestrial animals to approach before launching a rapid attack.

After a devastating bite, a crocodile drags its prey into the water to drown it. To tear into its meal, it grips the meat and spins its body in multiple rotations to rip it apart. Initially, this may seem challenging due to the lack of leverage, but crocodiles have no such concern: once blood is detected, several crocodiles often gather to share the feast, with the prey typically being torn into hundreds of small pieces by their powerful jaws and ferocious spinning.

As cold-blooded carnivores, crocodiles can survive for days without eating and rarely need to actively hunt. Although they may seem sluggish, crocodiles are top-tier predators in their environment, and some species have even been known to attack and kill lions, large ungulates, and even sharks. In India’s Sundarbans National Park, a 4.5-meter-long crocodile made history by killing a wild tiger in a dramatic attack. The tiger, attempting to swim across a river, was ambushed and killed in a fierce battle, with the crocodile gaining the upper hand in the water.

At the top of the list for animals with the most stomachs is the Baird's beaked whale, which can have more than 10 stomachs. The whale has two main stomach chambers: its primary stomach and a pyloric stomach. Additionally, Baird's beaked whale has a series of connecting chambers between these stomachs. Studies have shown that the average number of connecting chambers in Baird's beaked whale is 8.24. However, the number of chambers can vary across different species, with researchers finding anywhere between 3 and 11 connecting chambers in the stomachs of various beaked whale species. This means that when including the two main stomachs, some Baird’s beaked whales can have as many as 13 stomachs!

Baird's beaked whale is agile, quick, and an intelligent predator. Some feed on fish, while others hunt marine mammals like sea lions, seals, and even large great white sharks. It is a top predator in the ocean with no natural enemies, aside from humans. There are up to five different species of beaked whales, some of which may be classified into subspecies or even separate species. Baird's beaked whale exhibits a high level of social organization, with some populations following a matriarchal system, more stable than any other mammal species, excluding humans. Their social behavior, hunting techniques, and vocal communications are considered a distinct cultural trait of their species.

Adult Baird's beaked whales are easily distinguishable and unlike any other marine creature. When observed from a distance, younger individuals may be mistaken for other cetaceans, such as bell-shaped sperm whales or Risso’s dolphins. The teeth of Baird's beaked whale are extremely strong and coated in enamel. Their jaws are equipped with a powerful gripping mechanism, with the upper teeth filling the gaps between the lower teeth when the mouth is closed. The incisors tend to tilt slightly forward and outward, allowing them to withstand the sharp jerking motions of their prey while the molars and premolars hold the prey in place.

Reindeer are herbivorous mammals native to regions such as Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Northern Europe, and Northern Asia. They are characterized by their brown-gray fur and antlers. In many places, reindeer are a crucial source of food, milk, and transportation for humans. However, they are frequently hunted by brown bears, polar bears, and wolves. Combined with overhunting, reindeer populations are at risk, and they are classified as vulnerable species.

Like all deer species, reindeer are ruminants, meaning they have four stomachs and chew their cud. This process starts when they chew their food just enough to swallow it, where it is stored in the first stomach (the rumen). The food is then further processed in the second stomach (the reticulum), before being regurgitated and chewed again.

During rest, reindeer engage in cud chewing. After swallowing the food a second time, it enters the third stomach (the omasum), where water is absorbed. Finally, the food moves into the fourth stomach (the abomasum) for further breakdown before entering the intestines for nutrient absorption.

Reindeer hunting and herding (for meat, hides, milk, antlers, and transport) are vital for the people living in the Arctic and Subarctic regions. Even beyond their native territories, reindeer are widely known thanks to the popular American myth that Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer, a Christmas tradition dating back to the early 19th century.

Sloths are tree-dwelling mammals native to Central and South America, where they are often found hanging upside down in tropical rainforests. These adorable creatures are known for their thick, brown fur and extremely slow pace – they move only about 40 yards per day. Remarkably, although nearly helpless on land, sloths are capable swimmers and can move surprisingly fast in water.

But their slow pace isn’t the only thing unique about them. Sloths have the slowest metabolism of any mammal, which means it takes them an exceptionally long time to digest food. Leaves, their primary food source, are low in calories and nutrients, and are not easily digested. To fully break down this tough food, sloths have four stomachs, a process that takes about a month to complete.

With such a poor, nutrient-sparse diet, sloths need large, multi-chambered stomachs to store enough food. It can take months for them to fully digest a single meal. Their sedentary lifestyle is essential for minimizing energy consumption, which often causes their body temperature to drop to dangerously low levels. If their body temperature falls too low, their gut bacteria stop functioning, which means that even if they've consumed enough food for a month, they can still starve to death as their food remains undigested in their system.

Sloths spend most of their lives eating, sleeping, and resting in the treetops. Unlike most herbivores, who supplement their diet with more energy-dense foods like fruits and seeds, sloths, especially three-toed sloths, rely almost entirely on leaves. Over time, they’ve evolved a highly specialized strategy to adapt to this limited diet.