Wanamingo

Wanamingos are strange mutant animals that live mostly underground. They are also often called aliens, due to being mistaken for extra-terrestrial beings. It is possible that the wanamingos were old Enclave post-War experiments or even U.S.A. pre-War experiment. They were designed as FEV-tailored weapons for waging war on other countries but they escaped into the wastes. Fallout Bible 0: '''2. Does FEV really cause sterility? In Fallout 1 it seemed like the answer was a resounding yes, and a number of reasons for this were given by Zax and Vree. But then in Fallout 2 after you take Marcus to the Cat's Paw he says "I hope she doesn't get pregnant" and says that the FEV doesn't make mutants go sterile, it just makes it take a few years "to get the juices flowing again". Moreoever, the deathclaws in Vault 13 were infected with FEV and yet they are able to reproduce. So, does the FEV cause sterility or not?''' Answer: "FEV causes sterility in some creatures. FEV does cause sterility in super mutants and ghouls - Marcus' comment in New Reno was a joke only (and it was an inappropriate one, for which I apologize for). For other creatures, however, the FEV does not cause sterility - in fact, it may actually speed up their reproductive cycles (in tandem with potential drawbacks). Known species that can reproduce after being mutated with the FEV include most species of rats, the mantises (who are known to have bred so fast they cover the Salt Lake City area like blankets), the radscorpions, and the deathclaws. This is only a partial list." "The deathclaws in V13 are a special case; as part of the Enclave experiments, they were bred as fighting packs for the government. They were not supposed to be able to reproduce, but they were attempting to do so at the time of Fallout 2. It is extremely likely that the Enclave scientists would not have wanted the deathclaws to breed on their own for fear of losing control of them, but that doesn't mean they would have made mistakes in engineering limiters or sterility in them." ''"The wannamingos are a result of FEV virus experiments, but they are now becoming sterile. They are not aliens, but word is they were designed as FEV-tailored weapons for waging war on other countries... and they got loose. They do live a long time, but they were dying out at the time of Fallout 2. They have only been sighted in the F2 area and nowhere else in the wastelands." "The eggs you see in Fallout 2 are the last generation of Wannamingoes to exist in the wasteland; the young Wannamingoes seen in F2 will perish in five years, and their parents a few years before that - an internal genetic clock will simply stop ticking, and they'll fall over dead. The Wannamingoes are a vicious mutant breed that had their moment in the sun, and now their sun has set." "To put the tombstone on their extinction, the largest known nest of Wannamingoes were wiped out when the Great Wannamingo mine was reclaimed by Redding with the help of a traveling tribal. The mother was killed, and the last remaining eggs were hunted down, stepped on, and then the remains were examined by local scientists and doctors who came to the extinction conclusions mentioned above." "Again, Wannamingoes are not aliens – they are a curious mutant or genetically-designed fighting machine that has only been able to find a home in the cold, dark places of the wastes." "It is possible that the wannamingoes were old Enclave experiments (or even experiments from before the Great War), and if this is true, then it's likely their genetic/biological deadman's switch was purposely engineered to keep them from breeding past a certain generation." "As a final note, this is strictly a personal decision on my part. If you want them to live for fan fiction, pen-and-paper role-playing campaign purposes, or for your own peace of mind, feel free to have some of them survive the stopping of their genetic clock – in the Black Isle universe, however, the little buggers are already dead and their irradiated shells are scattered along the floor of abandoned mines throughout northern California where they make nice crunching noises when you step on them."''

Background
The only known queen lived in the Wanamingo Mine in Redding, owned by Ascorti. All "aliens" living in that mine were killed by the Chosen One in 2242. Some other wanamingos/aliens could be found in the desert, and in the PMV Valdez. The name "wanamingo" was originally only used locally in Redding, but eventually came to be used for the species as a whole elsewhere as well.

Biology
They have a long lifespan, but they are dying out by 2241. They hatch from eggs laid by the queen, which is larger than the other wanamingos and grey in color. They aren't intelligent in the usual sense, but they do seem to have a hive-mind mentality.

Gameplay attributes
Beware of the wanamingos as they are fast, have a high damage resistance and hit multiple times. They have a weakness though, they retreat from battle if one of their legs gets crippled. Flamers will also become your best friend, as they possess almost no fire resistance and must get close to attack.

The grey Wanamingo Queen can lay eggs for the reproduction of the wanamingos. She can be found deep underground in her breeding room.

Wanamingo queen
The Wanamingo queen is the matriarch of the Wanamingos. She can be found in the Great wanamingo mine in Redding. This is the only queen known to exist in 2241.

Appearances
Wanamingos appear only in Fallout 2.

The Art of Fallout 3, an art book available with the Collector's Edition of the game, includes a new version of wanamingo mutated by radiation although no Wanamingos exist in the game itself.

Behind the scenes

 * There is a town called Wanamingo in Minnesota. According to their historical society, the word "Wanamingo" comes from the name of a Native American woman in a 19th century novel.
 * Wanamingo heads bear a resemblance to the heads of the xenomorphs from the 1979 science fiction horror movie Alien and its sequels.