The death worm, also called “intestine worm” (based on Mackerle’s description), is said to live in the Gobi desert and it only emerges during the hottest months of the year – June and July. The rest of the year, the Mongolian death worm is said to burrow deep into the sand, only surfacing after a rain or when the ground is wet. Mackerle wrote: “It is dangerous, because it can kill people and animals instantly at a range of several metres.”

So, just how much of this is fact and how much is fiction? For starters, it’s awfully dangerous to discount a large number of sightings from people that claim to have seen the same thing, right? Next, why on earth would the respected and revered Mackerle make up such a story? These questions and others prompted a group of British scientists (cryptozoologists) to pack up and head out to the Gobi Desert in search of the elusive and deadly creature. In 2005, Operation Death Worm was born.

Sponsored by the Center for Fortean Zoology and led by respected cryptozoologist Richard Freeman, Operation Death Worm began in May 2005 and took the team through Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Here, the team spent hours digging holes in the sand and earth and interviewing eyewitnesses. After uncovering hundreds of lizards and skinks (common lizard found in Asia and Africa). Although the team did not find the infamous Mongolian death worm, it did acknowledge that the worm could very well be an unidentified snake or lizard variety.

Today, the hunt for the Mongolian death worm continues and the Center for Fortean Zoology has released a documentary, which follows Operation Death Worm through the Gobi Desert. Mongolian nomads still tell the story of how the death worm killed a small boy and his parents, and many cryptozoologist believe its out there somewhere, just waiting to be discovered.

While worms of all kinds can be found all over the world, especially earthworms (2,700 species), places like China, Australia, Greenland, and the Sahara Desert have their own indigenous species of worms. Besides the Sahara Desert, it is unlikely that you will find large numbers of worms living in “sandy” areas, especially sandy beaches. You see, the vast majority of worms on our planet can only survive under certain conditions.

For starters, worms have no lungs. This means, they breathe through their skin, so the worms environment and the worm’s skin must be moist at all times. This allows the worm to breathe in oxygen. While the sand may be moist and wet closer the water, the majority of the sand is dry. If the worm’s skin dries out, the worm will die from suffocation. In addition, too much moisture can also be detrimental to worms. If too much water is present, it takes the place of oxygen, which will cause the worms to flee to the surface. Once on the surface, worms will be exposed to sunlight. If worms remain in the sunlight for too long, they can become paralyzed.

Next, worms must remain close to their food supply. Worms feed off of leaves and dead grass which contain organisms that provide a healthy diet of bacteria, algae, and fungi to the worm. Worms feast on dirt as well, especially if they live deeper inside the earth. Worms also eat plants, fruits, and vegetables.

Believe it or not, worms do have mouths. Their mouths are actually big enough and powerful enough to grab a leaf and drag it around. They also have a pharynx, esophagus, crop, gizzard and intestine. When the worm eats its food, it pulls the materials into its mouth with the help of the pharynx and its prostomium (also called acron). This creates a suction motion. This suction motion aids in helping the worm consume large amounts of food in a sort amount of time. The gizzard grinds the food. Worms eat so much that they typically produce excrement equal to their own weight every 24 hours.

When it comes to reproduction, the worm’s environment plays an extremely important role as well. Worms prefer to mate or reproduce in warm moist soil and away from light, of course.

The names, “allghoi khorkhoi”, “olgoj chorchoj”, or “allerghoi horhai”, translate to “intestine worm”, which refers to its appearance: like that of a cow’s intestine. Ranging in length from two feet to five feet, the Mongolian death worm’s body is reported to be bright red in color and believed to be quite flexible. The death worm can attack its victims from a distance, either by spewing a yellow liquid that eats through the flesh or by an electric shock from its eyes.

The Mongolian death worm received written attention first in 1926 by paleontologist Roy Chapman. He expressed skepticism in his book as none of the interviewees had physically seen a death worm; they merely recited stories and descriptions, warning that speaking of this horrific monster would surely bring bad luck. A second noted explorer from Czechoslovakia, Ivan Mackerle, assumed the pursuit beginning in 1990. To date, he has been unable to confirm the Mongolian death worm’s existence.

Mackerle, however, made assumptions based on legend: the Mongolian death worm could be a legless skink of some sort, or a cobra-like creature. Others continue to guess; most recently that it is an undiscovered species of a giant worm lizard that has failed to evolve. Many experts believe that tales of the Mongolian death worm have simply been exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Still others have made the trek across the Gobi desert in search of the Mongolian death worm, but have gained no definitive information. On the other hand, Mongolians to this day are adamant in their warnings and continue to speak warily.

For the moment, this worm remains a mystery and is classified as a cryptozoological animal: one whose existence can neither be confirmed nor denied.

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