Originally created before the 
Great War by the 
government to supplement human troops in battle, deathclaws were derived from mixed animal stock, primarily from the very common Jackson Chameleon. They were then refined by the 
Master, using genetic manipulation and the 
Forced Evolutionary Virus. The resulting creature is incredibly fast and powerful.
[2]
Around 
2161, deathclaws were still considered mysterious and legendary creatures to many. They could originally only be found in the 
Boneyard at the 
warehouse, living with their mother. Later, as the deathclaw population grew and began to spread across the continent, the deathclaws stopped being perceived as legendary beasts, and started to be seen just as another dangerous creature.