Giraffe weevil is a (28,7)c/448 giraffeship discovered by FWKnightship on December 23 2025.[1] Its name is a term for a species of beetle, while also referencing the fact that its simplified slope is (4,1), making it a giraffeship, as well as generally being similar in shape. It is the first known giraffeship in Conway's Game of Life, although a much slower one could have been built as early as 2010 by modifying Gemini.
Underlying reactions
The spaceship relies on two base reactions in order to function. The first reaction is in the spine of the spaceship, where a block is perturbed by a convoy of xWSS's and is displaced by (28,7) while releasing a glider. This reaction is inherently adjustable both in speed and slope, and somewhat similar to the reaction used in the Caterloopillar.
The adjustable block-shifting reaction in the spine (click above to open LifeViewer)
The second reaction consists of a pair of gliders, produced by the same convoy, colliding with a beehive to displace it by (28,7) while leaving some debris behind to be perturbed by further gliders. This reaction allows for potential adjustments to the speed of Giraffe Weevil (though such an adjustment to the spaceship would be highly nontrivial as a result of ash cleanup needs), but currently inhibits possible adjustments to the slope of the ship.
