The Mongolian Death Worm is a cryptid that is said to live in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. It is also called “olgoi-khorkhoi”, “allergorhai-horJiai”, or “allghoi khorkhoi,” in the local languages which roughly translates to “large intestine worm” because people say that it resembles the intestines of a cow.
| Cryptid Name: | Mongolian Death Worm / allergorhai-horJiai |
| Location: | Gobi Desert, Mongolia |
| Category: | Unusual Animal Cryptid |
| Description: | A bright red, sausage-like worm with no visible head or tail. Believed to be venomous and have the ability to spray a deadly toxin. |
| Size: | 2 to 5 feet / 0.6 to 1.5 meters long. |
| Behavior/Characteristics: | Mysterious and rarely seen; reportedly lethal venom, ability to kill animals on contact. Believed to hibernate during cold months and become active during the summer. |
| Diet: | Unknown. |
| Habitat/Environment: | The arid and remote Gobi Desert, characterized by harsh desert conditions, including extreme temperatures and limited water sources. |
| Evidence: | Largely anecdotal and based on local accounts and legends; no concrete scientific evidence of its existence. |
| Sightings and Encounters: | Reports come from local nomadic herders and travelers, but concrete evidence is lacking. Numerous expeditions have been undertaken to find the creature, with no success. |
| Skepticism/Explanations: | Many scientists and experts consider the Mongolian Death Worm to be a product of folklore and superstition with no scientific basis. Some propose that the creature is a misinterpretation of local wildlife, such as snakes or burrowing animals. |
What Does The Mongolian Death Worm Look Like?
The Mongolian Death Worm is described as a bright red, sausage-like creature with a thick body that witnesses say resembles the intestines of a cow.
It has no visible head, mouth, teeth, or eyes and it also doesn’t have a discernible tail. It is said to be between 2 to 5 feet / 0.6 to 1.5 meters long.
Is the Mongolian Death Worm Poisonous?
Yes, it is believed that the Mongolian Death Worm is highly poisonous. It is able to spit or spray a deadly toxin or acid at its prey and it is believed that this poison will kill animals and humans on contact.
Mongolian Death Worm Sightings, Research And Expeditions
Sightings of the Mongolian Death Worm have been reported by Mongolian nomads for generations. But it wasn’t until 1920 when a Paleontologist by the name of Roy Chapman Andrews was asked to capture one by Mongolian officials ahead of his expedition into the Gobi Desert.
In his book, “On the Trail of Ancient Man“, he wrote the following:
Then the Premier asked that, if it were possible, I should capture for the Mongolian government a specimen of the allergorhai-horJiai. I doubt whether any of my scientific readers can identify this animal. I could, because I had heard of it often.
None of those present ever had seen the creature, but they all firmly believed in its existence and described it minutely. It is shaped like a sausage about two feet long, has no head nor legs and is so poisonous that merely to touch it means instant death.
It lives in the most desolate parts of the Gobi Desert, whither we were going. To the Mongols it seems to be what the dragon is to the Chinese.
The Premier said that, although he had never seen it himself, he knew a man who had and had lived to tell the tale. Then a Cabinet Minister stated that “the cousin of his late wife’s sister’’ had also seen it.
I promised to produce the allergorhai-horJiai if we chanced to cross its path, and explained how it could be seized by means of long steel collecting forceps; moreover, I could wear dark glasses, so that the disastrous effects of even looking at so poisonous a creature would be neutralized.
The meeting adjourned with the best of feeling; for we had a common interest in capturing the a Uergorhai-horhai. I was especially happy because now the doors of Outer Mongolia were open to the expedition.
On the Trail of Ancient Man
Unfortunately, Andrews didn’t manage to find any conclusive evidence that the Mongolian Death Worm existed during his expedition.
In May 2005, the Center for Fortean Zoology conducted a four-week expedition into Mongolia’s Gobi Desert searching for the legendary Mongolian Death Worm. They documented eyewitness reports and testimonies from locals and collected physical evidence to prove the existence of the Death Worm.
A cryptozoologist by the name of Richard Freeman led the expedition and in a press release said:
It’s like the salamander in medieval Europe, it was thought to be deadly poisonous. Alexander the Great was supposed to have lost hundreds of men after they drank from a stream that had a salamander living in it. But now we know it’s harmless. Even today in the Sudan, people think that the harmless sand boa is so venomous that you only have to touch it and you will die.
I don’t think that it’s a worm at all. True worms need moisture. I think it is a limbless, burrowing reptile, probably a giant member of a group of reptiles known as amphisbaenas or worm lizards. These are a primitive group of poorly studied animals. They are not snakes or lizards but are related to both. I think the Death Worm is a giant member of this group.
Richard Freeman
The group of cryptozoologists planned to capture the creature alive by forcing the Mongolian Death Worms up from their burrows by damming the local streams and flooding small areas of the desert.
Unfortunately, the team also wasn’t able to find any conclusive evidence of the Death Worms so for now, the Death Worm remains an elusive cryptid just waiting to be confirmed by science!
