The Mongolian Death Worm
Growing up to 1.5 metres in length and to the thickness of a grown man's forearm, the bright red Alghoi Khorkhoi, nicknamed the Mongolian Death Worm, is reputed to live deep in the Gobi Desert on the borders of China and Mongolia.
Living underground most of its life, it supposedly comes to the surface only when it's raining. As the Gobi is a very dry place, the creature is usually spotted during a summer rain shower.
The Alghoi Khorkhoi is said to have a smooth skin and no scales but the ability to move as swiftly as a snake.
This monster gets its name from its fantastic weaponry. It can attack from a distance by spraying a venom that kills people, horses and camels within seconds. And, like the electric eel that lives in the oceans, the Death Worm can also electrocute its enemies with blasts of electrical energy.
Although no scientific expedition has succeeded in capturing a specimen (or even photographing one), many people believe the Death Worm exists. Some think it's a real monster but most think it's an unknown type of snake or skink.
Although finding new animals is rare, a new type of wild Bactrian camel was found in the Kum Tagh Desert in China's Xinjiang province in 2001. The Gobi Desert covers some 1,295,000 square kilometres but who knows, if we're lucky maybe we'll see the first pictures of the Alghoi Khorkhoi this summer!