Cryptids: The Mongolian Death Worm

Artist's rendition of a Mongolian Death Worm
Pieter0024

Cryptids are animals that, like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, have supposedly been sighted a significant number of times, but there is no concrete evidence of their existence. The Mongolian Death Worm is yet another monstrous addition to this category of mysteries. Its existence cannot be proved, which makes it equally hard to deny it.

The Mongolian Death Worm is thought, by some, to reside in the hotter southern region of Mongolia's Gobi Desert. It reportedly lives in the sand, where it spends ten months out of the year hibernating in burrows. It comes out of the ground in June and July. They say you can only see it above ground when it has been raining.

Mongolian Death Worms are worm-like creatures that are as thick as a human’s arm. They can grow to be between two and five feet long and are red, sometimes with dark spots. Its color has been likened to that of blood or salami. Some descriptions give the creature spike-like protrusions at both ends of its body. It is said that there is no way of discerning which end of the creature is its head and which its tail. It moves across the sand by rolling around or squirming.

This creature gets its formidable name from reports that it has the almost supernatural ability to kill anyone that touches it. Reports say it can kill a person or animal from a few feet away. The Mongolian Death Worm spits a deadly corrosive toxin several feet. The toxin causes instantaneous death. Another strange and deadly weapon attributed to the Mongolian Death Worm is an electrical charge that can work at a distance. Both of these claims are highly unlikely.

These cryptids are legendary among the nomadic tribes of Mongolia. However, the rest of the world only became aware of them in 1926 when Professor Roy Chapman wrote about them in his book, “On the Trials of Ancient Man.” As is the case with so many other cryptids, several expeditions have been sent out in search of the creature. As of yet, no proof of the existence of the Mongolian Death Worm has been uncovered.

It is possible that the Mongolian Death Worm is actually a known creature that is mis-remembered or miscommunicated. Of course, it could also be real, in which case, its ability to kill and its methods of killing have likely been exaggerated. Whatever the case may be, believers in the existence of this creature tread carefully when traveling in the southern Gobi Desert.

Sources

The Mongolian Death Worm, retrieved 11/29/09, virtuescience.com/mongolian-death-worm.html

The Cryptid Zoo: Mongolian Death Worm, retrieved 11/29/09, newanimal.org/deathworm.htm