Desert worm
The most feared animal of the Gobi desert is the legendary allghoi khorkhoi which is also known as the Mongolian death worm. The name is descriptive: it means "intestine worm", because it is supposed to resemble a four-feet-long animated piece of intestine. It surfaces after rain and sprays anyone who gets too close with an acid-like substance that kills instantly. It also radiates a killer electrical charge. The existence of the worm is unproven, despite four research teams having tried to find it since 1990. Many scientists believe it is a snake: the venom-spitting death adder or king cobra are the most likely candidates. One problem is that Mongolians believe that mentioning the worm is unlucky, so reliable first-hand accounts are hard to come by.
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