The Mongolian Death Worm

[-Marduk- Profile]

The Mongolian Death Worm is a cryptid purported to exist in the Gobi Desert. It is generally considered a cryptozoological creature; one whose sightings and reports are disputed or unconfirmed.



It is described as a bright red worm with a wide body that is 0.6 to 1.5 meters (2 to 5 feet) long. In general, scientists reject the possibility that such mega-fauna cryptids exist, because of the improbably large numbers necessary to maintain a breeding population and because climate and food supply issues make their survival in reported habitats unlikely. The local name is allghoi or orghoi, which means "blood filled intestine worm" because it is reported to look like the intestine of a cow. It is the subject of a number of extraordinary claims by Mongolian locals—such as the ability of the worm to spew forth sulfuric acid that, on contact, will turn anything it touches yellow and corroded (which would kill a human), and its purported ability to kill at a distance by means of electric discharge.







Interview With A Mongolian Death Worm Eyewitness

This interview was conducted with a 90 year old witness who had seen the deathworm in the 1930s. His parents warned him of how dangerous it was and became scared that he had seen a worm in the vicinity of their gur.

The Mongolian Death Worm is a cryptid reported to exist in the Gobi Desert. It is generally considered a cryptozoological creature; one whose sightings and reports are disputed or unconfirmed.

It is described as a fat, bright red worm, 2 to 5 ft long (0.6 to 1.5 meters).



The local name is Allghoi (or Orghoi) khorkhoi , which means -blood filled intestine worm- because it is reported to look like the intestine of a cow. It is the subject of a number of extraordinary claims by Mongolian locals - such as the ability of the worm to spew forth sulfuric acid that, on contact, will turn anything it touches yellow and corroded (which would kill a human), and its purported ability to kill at a distance by means of electric discharge.

One investigator of that animal is Czech author Ivan Mackerle, who said in Fate Magazine (June 1991) that it reportedly kills its victims by electrocution. British zoologist Karl Shuker brought it to the general attention of the English speaking public in his 1996 book The Unexplained, followed a year later by his Fortean Studies paper on this subject, which was reprinted in The Beasts That Hide From Man in which it was hypothesized that the death worm was an Amphisbaenid. Loren Coleman also included this animal in Cryptozoology A to Z.



A joint expedition in 2005 by the Centre for Fortean Zoology and E-Mongol investigated new reports and sighting of the creature. They found no evidence of its existence, but could not rule out that it might live in the deep Gobi Desert along the prohibited areas of the Mongolian/Chinese border.

The most recent expedition was in 2006-2007, conducted by the reality-television series, Destination Truth.



One investigator of that animal is Czech author Ivan Mackerle, who said in Fate Magazine (June 1991) that it reportedly kills its victims by electrocution. British zoologist Karl Shuker brought it to the general attention of the English speaking public in his 1996 book The Unexplained, followed a year later by his Fortean Studies paper on this subject, which was reprinted in The Beasts That Hide From Man in which it was hypothesized that the death worm was an Amphisbaenid. Loren Coleman also included this animal in Cryptozoology A to Z.



A joint expedition in 2005 by the Centre for Fortean Zoology and E-Mongol investigated new reports and sighting of the creature. They found no evidence of its existence, but could not rule out that it might live in the deep Gobi Desert along the prohibited areas of the Mongolian/Chinese border.



The most recent expedition was in 2006–2007, conducted by the reality-television series, Destination Truth.

[Drextin Profile]

If I am not mistaken this is the creature Frank Herbert based his sandworms on for Dune.

I remember reading somewhere he based them on a mythical creature that intrigued him.

Could be wrong but its a hell of a coincidence if not.

[Cornbread714 Profile]

If I am not mistaken this is the creature Frank Herbert based his sandworms on for Dune.

I remember reading somewhere he based them on a mythical creature that intrigued him.

Could be wrong but its a hell of a coincidence if not.

Ah, you beat me to it, bastid. Straight outta Dune, yo...

(c'mon Marduk, you're going sci-fi on us...)

[Vulcanic Profile]

If I am not mistaken this is the creature Frank Herbert based his sandworms on for Dune.

I remember reading somewhere he based them on a mythical creature that intrigued him.

Could be wrong but its a hell of a coincidence if not.

Ah, you beat me to it, bastid. Straight outta Dune, yo...

(c'mon Marduk, you're going sci-fi on us...)

lol no, sci fi movie dune based the dune worm from this story.

[Vulcanic Profile]

If I am not mistaken this is the creature Frank Herbert based his sandworms on for Dune.

I remember reading somewhere he based them on a mythical creature that intrigued him.

Could be wrong but its a hell of a coincidence if not.

correct drexin! I can't remember where i read that too lol but i remember reading about it too.

[Cornbread714 Profile]

"mega-fauna cryptids"?
I fucking love it!

[Drextin Profile]

According to this I'm wrong about this being the creature who inspired him. The site I got this from is always on top of its game so I am no one to argue with them.

The Sandworms: Visually, Frank Herbert called the Sandworm "Earth shipworms grown monstrous." The shipworm (Lyrodus pendicellatus) is technically not a worm but a mollusk, with a tiny clam-like shell at the head. The shipworm uses its shell like a rasp, to burrow through wood ships and docks. Thus its nickname, "the termite of the sea."

Herbert said that his inspiration for the sandworms came from a line in Sir James George Frazer's The Golden Bough (1922), which alludes to "the mindless animal in the depths of the psyche that guards the pearl of life."

So maybe the snadworms of dune influenced the tales about the mongolian death worm.

There are just too many similarities for them not to be connected.

By the way............in the process of looking for his inspiration I found out Peter Berg is planning a new big screen version of dune. Berg is the director of Hancock and promises to not do a Lynch remake of the 84 movie.....which is a fucking relief...........but one more in tune with the books and the sci fi original mini series. The have the year for the movies release in 2010......but it is still in development..........which means it could be 2012 before we see it.

[Vulcanic Profile]

According to this I'm wrong about this being the creature who inspired him. The site I got this from is always on top of its game so I am no one to argue with them.

The Sandworms: Visually, Frank Herbert called the Sandworm "Earth shipworms grown monstrous." The shipworm (Lyrodus pendicellatus) is technically not a worm but a mollusk, with a tiny clam-like shell at the head. The shipworm uses its shell like a rasp, to burrow through wood ships and docks. Thus its nickname, "the termite of the sea."

Herbert said that his inspiration for the sandworms came from a line in Sir James George Frazer's The Golden Bough (1922), which alludes to "the mindless animal in the depths of the psyche that guards the pearl of life."

So maybe the snadworms of dune influenced the tales about the mongolian death worm.

There are just too many similarities for them not to be connected.

By the way............in the process of looking for his inspiration I found out Peter Berg is planning a new big screen version of dune. Berg is the director of Hancock and promises to not do a Lynch remake of the 84 movie.....which is a fucking relief...........but one more in tune with the books and the sci fi original mini series. The have the year for the movies release in 2010......but it is still in development..........which means it could be 2012 before we see it.

hmmm i swear i saw that before or read it,now it's bugging to know where i read or saw it.

[Lowsix Profile]

So maybe the snadworms of dune influenced the tales about the mongolian death worm.

Snadworms of Dune..

Funny... i saw that about thirty seven times,
and i cant recall the Snadworms..

[Drextin Profile]

ahem.......uh.......snadworms was in a very rare book of dune that only a few very important people got to read...........and the cousin of a man who saw a show about it told me........so kiss my ass.....you just hatin on the snadworms.