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Mongolian Death Worm

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Painted illustration: fat red worm-like creature emerging from golden Gobi desert sand
AI rendition based on witness descriptions, not an actual photo.
Gobi Desert dunes, Mongolia, where death worm sightings are reported
Gobi Desert dunes, Mongolia, where death worm sightings are reported · Richard Mortel · CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) · Image source · License

A red worm-like animal said to live under the sands of the Gobi, called olgoi-khorkhoi.

Folklore Verdict: Unproven desert legend.

Region
Asia · Mongolia
First reports
1926 (Roy Chapman Andrews reported the legend)

Key sightings

Best evidence

No specimen; worm lizards or sand boas have been suggested.

Sources