Deathclaw

Deathclaw is a term referring to genetically-engineered creatures developed by the United States military to replace humans during close-combat search-and-destroy missions. They escaped into the wild in the aftermath of the Great War, and over the next few decades colonized much of the former United States, becoming apex predators in many of the new, post-War ecosystems. Deathclaws are a large, carnivorous,bipedal reptile species, designed for maximum lethality. The choice to make them bipedal was natural, as bipedalism raises the head, providing a greater field of vision and thus improving the ability to detect targets or resources. The upper limbs were also freed by this choice and could be fashioned into extremely dangerous weapons. The caveat is that the deathclaw is not as fast as a quadrupedal animal, though this is a largely academic concern. However, deathclaws have been observed running on all fours when charging prey. The rippling musculature of the deathclaw provides it with superior strength, excellent speed, and incredible resilience in most combat situations.Non-game Deathclaws communicate with each other in a pack using growls and body language, though they are also capable of mimicking human voices like a parrot if their intelligence is artificially increased

Deathclaws are pack animals, with the leadership role assumed by the alpha pair, the strongest male and female deathclaws in the group. The remainder of the pack follows the leaders and migrates along with them.

Coupled with their pack behavior is a fierce territorial instinct. Deathclaws will usually opt for territories away from inhabited areas (most likely due to noise), but may settle into temporarily abandoned human buildings and areas, as was the case with the Boneyard warehouses circa 2161 or Quarry Junction in 2281.Once it claims a territory, a pack is exceedingly difficult to dislodge, as the alpha male will not abandon a claimed territory even if the pack mother is killed,while the alpha female will simply choose another mate to procreate. As such, reclaiming a deathclaw territory usually requires either killing both pack leaders, causing the pack to scatter,[or wiping out the entire pack. Neither is particularly easy.

Deathclaws are made even more dangerous by their reproductive instincts. Unlike Jackson's chameleons, deathclaws are an oviparous species, female deathclaws will lay eggs in clusters, sired by the strongest male deathclaws in the pack, typically the alpha male. Survival of the pack is coded into deathclaws and the pack leaders will instinctively select only the strongest partners for procreation. If killed, the pack mother will typically be replaced by another female in short order.

Deathclaw eggs are large, weighing up to twelve pounds (5.5 kilogram's they are durable and resilient, with a remarkably long shelf life.Deathclaws will seek out dark, sheltered areas to set up their nests.Lone deathclaws will also claim territories and create nests, usually in sheltered, secluded areas. If they are female and have been impregnated by a male deathclaw, they will prepare a separate nest for their young, protecting their hardy eggs with whatever small objects are at hand, such as small rocks, fallen leaves, twigs, and bones leftover from their meals.