Welcome back, and happy Earth day everyone! I was able to go for a hike the other day, and I found a Lion's Mane Mushroom, which was pretty cool. It looked like it was going bad, so I left it, but I'm definitely want to check that spot again. I'm trying to find Morels- if you live in Missouri and know where they usually pop up, let me know. I haven't had any luck in the last couple of years.
How are you celebrating Earth day this year? Any gardeners out there?
Anyway, enough about me, let's get into the story. Today I will be telling you about a cryptid- the Mongolian Death Worm! Though I didn't find a ton of information on this beast, I still felt like it was worth sharing. I mean, who doesn't want to read about a giant, electricity shooting worm? Okay, the Mongolian Death Worm, Olgoi-Khorkhoi, or the intestine worm, is a two to five feet long red worm, that is several inches thick. It has spikes on both ends, and the ends are identical. Scientists say they are like a giant tapeworm, which is terrifying.
(Source: Wiki) They look like a snake almost or a "limbless lizard," as my sources stated. Isn't that just a snake? I don't know- I'm just an English major, sometimes I wonder if I am even that. Sorry kids, things aren't all rainbows and sunshine after graduating college. On that note- if you know anyone hiring... Anyway, back to the desert bratwurst- So, what do locals think? Well, they are terrified. Tribes of the Gobi desert say that it has supernatural abilities and even refer to it as the demon of the desert. I found a clip of an interview by Beast Man on National Geographic. In the episode, they interviewed a local, Chimgee, who saw a death worm when she was little. The whole village witnessed the worm near their sheep and observed it from afar. Chimgee's family moved away the next day because they feared it so much. Tales of these mysterious creatures have been passed down for generations among people like Chimgee and her family.
(Source: Wiki) Though this creature hasn't been confirmed, it was mentioned in a book by paleontologist Roy Andrews like it was. It seems as though eye-witness accounts are all the proof people have. For some reason, scientists think that this worm has vertebrae. So, they found a body? Do they have proof? Nope. They just think it has a backbone. Okay. That's science. It is highly poisonous and can spray its venom several feet like a cobra, and it can electrocute things like an eel. These worms definitely have all of their bases covered. Like everything, some people don't think the worms exist. Some have even compared the Mongolian Death Worm to beach worms found in southern and eastern Australia. The worms found there can reach 8 feet long. Holy shit. If you compare the two, the worms in Australia are much thinner. The Mongolian Death Worm is chunky- locals say like an arm. I'm sorry, but all of these descriptions are just... unsettling. Regardless, scientists think that if worms in Australia can adapt to a sand environment rather than soil, worms in Mongolia can too. These disbelieving scientists also think that the electricity generated by the worms could be caused by friction from the sand and a leathery material. In a clip, I watched someone compared this to generating electricity by wearing rubber shoes on the carpet. The heat of the desert, combined with all the sand, could allow the worm to shock up to several feet.
(Source: National Geographic)
Also, the whole shooting venom thing isn't impressive. Scientists are like been there, seen that, i.e., there are spitting cobras. I don't know about you, but I can't spit venom, so I am impressed. The worm is found in the Gobi desert on the edge of China and Mongolia. The Gobi desert covers 1,000 miles and is one of the least explored places in the world. I find it interesting that there are still places on Earth that we haven't discovered. It's amazing. And how scientists are continually discovering new animals- and big ones too. I don't know. I feel like it's easy to feel crowded, depending on where you live, and it's nice to know that there are places like this still out there—untouched areas where nature runs its course. Okay, enough rambling back to this desert intestine. The worms only come to the surface in June and July, which are the rainy months of the year. They tend to kill camels and (brace yourself for this next part) lay their eggs in their intestines. Gross. One thing. If they lay eggs in camels, why hasn't someone collected some yet? I'm not talking locals- they are way too superstitious (same though), but yeah. Several groups have wandered into the Gobi desert, hopeful to witness these beasts. One of these groups consisted of a father and son, and you can watch some of their adventure on Youtube. The father was attacked by what they think was a death worm but survived. I found that strange. If the worms typically take down camels which weight 1,000-1,500 lbs, then how didn't it kill this guy? I'm just asking. Other groups who have tried to find these desert worms consist of a man named Ivan Mackerle. In 1990 and 1992, Mackerle led teams into the desert to bring the worms to the surface by using rhythmic thumping. They used large machines to drive steel plates into the ground with the hope that the vibrations would do something. They were unsuccessful. Hey, at least they tried. In 2005 Zoological journalist of the Centre for Fountea Zoology, Richard Freeman, tried his hand at finding the worms but was also unsuccessful. In 2009 a New Zealand news channel went on an expedition but also nothing. From what I gather, searching for these worms consists of camping in the desert and setting up cameras, except Mackerle, who might have just wanted to have a rave in the desert. That would be one way to cause some vibrations. Has anyone tried that? If plants are proven to react to music, then why not killer worms? Someone go try that. Destination Truth also shot an episode about the Mongolian Death worm, but I haven't watched it yet. It is definitely on the list for tonight- it's supposed to storm so it'll be perfect spooky weather. If you want to check it out too, I found it on Youtube. If I find anything interesting I'll add a part two or something so fear not, you are getting as much information as I can muster up. Anyway, that was all I could find on this cryptid for now. I was pretty shocked by how little attention this creature has received—Especially with movies like Tremors out there. I don't know, you say giant killer worms to me, and that's what I think. Didn't they also have electrical abilities? Its been at least fifteen years since I have seen it- them? I just remember people in a desert running from giant worms, in all honesty. Maybe there was a tribe that worshiped that worms, but I could just be making that up. I feel like there's a group out there are everyone, so why not worship a massive parasite? Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed this story, and don't forget to spread the word.
Until next time -Tye
Always Cite Those Sources:
“Facts: Mongolian Death Worm.” National Geographic, 2 Aug. 2015, www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/facts-mongolian-death-worm.aspx.
Lizleafloor. “Searching for the Terrifying Mongolian Death Worm.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 6 July 2019, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/finding-legendary-mongolian-death-worm-001973.
“Mongolian Death Worm.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_death_worm.
Radford, Benjamin. “Mongolian Death Worm: Elusive Legend of the Gobi Desert.” LiveScience, Purch, 21 June 2014, www.livescience.com/46450-mongolian-death-worm.html.
The Cryptid Zoo: Mongolian Death Worm (or Olgoi-Khorkhoi), www.newanimal.org/deathworm.htm.
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