Deathclaw

Deathclaws are a breed of horned Jackson's Chameleon that, through genetic engineering, has been mixed with multiple other creatures' DNA, costing them their colour-changing ability but making them larger, stronger and more agile than most creatures that inhabit the wastes.

Deathclaws have a hunchbacked, bipedal reptilian build with long humanoid arms. They stand roughly nine to ten feet tall, with a thick and resilient hide, powerful muscles, and twelve-inch-long, razor-sharp claws that can kill almost any other creature in only a few swipes; hence their name. They have an excellent sense of smell and hearing, though their eyesight is poor. Their build gives them incredible speed, agility and strength in close combat.

Deathclaws are very aggressive, territorial, and carnivorous. They typically live in small packs of around eight to twenty members led by an alpha male, who is the only one allowed to mate with the females. Deathclaws are oviparous, with the eggs typically laid in dark, sheltered locations and fiercely guarded by their mother. Young deathclaws reach maturity under the care of their parents, following them closely until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

Although they do not have vocal cords, they can growl and shout, and some seem to be able to mimic human speech much the same as a parrot does. However, normal deathclaws aren't intelligent enough to be capable of real speech.

Variants

 * Deathclaws - The most common variant, known simply as Deathclaws, are found all throughout the wastelands of post-apocalyptic America. It is not uncommon for a lone traveller to encounter groups of three or more of these beasts.
 * Mother Deathclaws - Female deathclaws, also called mothers or matriarchs, are fewer in numbers than the males. Only one female is the pack mother at a given time, with another female taking her place when she dies. Mother deathclaws can be distinguished from males by their dark blue color, barbed tails and back swept horns. They also seem to have a bloated abdomen, presumably from eggs, and are generally larger in size than normal deathclaws. If her young are killed, she will go into an uncontrollable rage, killing anything nearby, excluding other deathclaws. Similarly, if she is killed, her children will try to guard her body from attackers.
 * Deathclaw Alpha Males - Alpha deathclaws are the strongest of all deathclaws. Alphas are easily noticable, thanks to their larger horns and darker colouration.
 * Legendary Deathclaw - The legendary deathclaw is one of four legendary creatures, alongside a Cazador, Nightstalker and Fire Gecko, that can be found somewhere in the Mojave Wasteland. It is the biggest and most lethal deathclaw in the Mojave, being somewhat larger than normal deathclaws, and also has grayer skin, expanded horns, and fangs. It makes its home at the rear of Dead Wind Cavern, which is already the home of many other deathclaws.
 * Hairy Deathclaws - A subspecies living in the former states of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. They developed fur in patches across their body to cope with the cold in these areas.Some members of the species possessed the ability to speak, though it is unknown if this was because of the Enclave's experiments or through their own mutations
 * Intelligent Deathclaws - During the year 2235, the Enclave captured many deathclaws and exposed them to FEV. This boosted their intelligence, giving them the ability to talk with varying degrees of erudition and articulation. This subspecies was highly intelligent, about the equivalent of an eight-year-old, with some even being on par with average adult humans. Their learning capacity was very high and they were capable of abstract thought and reasoning. Although they did not have vocal cords, the deathclaws seemed to mimic human speech in the same way a parrot does. Socially, they had a rigidly hierarchical, peaceful, pack-based ethical code. They were extremely loyal to the pack as a whole, treating it as a family unit rather than having individual families. Fights within a pack are unheard of, and the pack's leader controls many aspects of life, such as choosing and matching female and male deathclaws for reproduction. Oddly enough, these deathclaws are not subject to sterility from FEV exposure, as are Super Mutants, Centaurs and other such creatures.