Wildlife advisory: Deathclaw !!DANGER!!

Standing at 10 foot 3 inches tall and 20 feet long, the Deathclaw (see Genus Thanatonychus) is a massive bipedal reptile found throughout the wastelands of the Enclave.

Keen hunters with high levels of intelligence, Deathclaws are vicious apex predators that actively prey on most living things (Humans and other deathclaws included).

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.

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 extremely durable and resilient, with an remarkably long shelf life. This has been a major problem for hunter-killer teams tasked with exterminating Deathclaw populations, as mother Deathclaws tend to hide their eggs, making full extermination of the species a difficult task.

Deathclaw packs usually tend to make their homes in the scattered ruins of various metro stations and tunnels scattered throughout the Enclaves wasteland. Due to this fact, travelers are prohibited from traveling alone for safety reasons. If traveling is necessary, citizens are encouraged to use the Federal wasteland transportation service, as the Enclave cannot guarantee your safety otherwise.

While historians and scientists alike are unsure of the exact origins of the Deathclaw, it is agreed upon that the species is the result of bio-weapon programs conducted by the Free States Confederation during the Enclave civil war.