February 26, 2015 — Frank Herbert, the author of Dune, ultimately invented nothing! Everyone remembers the image of those massive sand worms that characterize this science fiction saga. Well, Mongolie has its own giant worm to rival them: олгой-хорхой (pronounced olgoi-khorkhoi), which literally means "worm with thick intestines." This creature, also nicknamed the Death Worm, is said to inhabit the most isolated and arid sands of the Gobi.

It is described as a scarlet-red worm, giving it the appearance of a cow's intestine, measuring between 60 centimeters and 1.5 meters and as thick as a forearm. It would be difficult to distinguish its head from its tail, since the worm has no visible eyes or mouth. Some accounts also describe it with dark patches on its body and spines at each end. It is believed to resemble the polychaete worm family, and more particularly the eunice aphroditois, an omnivorous aquatic predatory worm.

All sorts of extraordinary stories circulate about it among the local Mongolian people. For example, it is said that the worm has the ability to spit sulfuric acid, of which even the smallest drop can corrode any metal object and could kill a human. It is also recounted that it would be capable of killing from a distance through electrical discharges. Still others say that this worm is so venomous that the slightest contact causes instantaneous death. This mythical worm is said to live underground, hibernating most of the year and awakening only during June and July. It is reported that the creature can most often be observed on the surface on rainy days, when the soil is wet. The worm is said to prefer the rare parasitic plants that grow in the Gobi, such as goyo, a toxic plant with a taste somewhere between banana and celery.

Although Gobi residents have been telling stories about the worm for centuries, it was not until 1926 that Westerners learned of it through paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews' book On the Trail of Ancient Man. In the work, this American paleontologist recounted his skepticism regarding the creature's existence, having collected the stories from Mongolian locals: "None of those present have ever seen the creature, but they believe in its existence with absolute certainty and describe it with great precision."

History — Charlène Nomadays — SEO writer from the very beginning at Nomadays, now content manager and head of the communications division, Charlène has accompanied the adventure from its start with passion and dedication. After living seven years across Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolie and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.