History Main / WormSign

* In ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'', Spook Diggers leave mound trails when they burrow underground to ambush you.

* ''VideoGame/DustyRevenge'' and it's prequel, ''VideoGame/DustyRagingFist'' have mole enemies who can pull a FastTinnelling attack, disappearing underground and trying to ambush you from below. However you can spot them and jump to avoid getting clawed from below thanks to bumps on the ground.

%%* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': The Thresher Maws use this to confuse you as to where it will pop up next.%%Use what? How?
* ''VideoGame/{{Blasphemous}}'': One enemy type is a worm-man who periodically burrows into the ground, following you, with the main reason you know where it is being the raised ground where it's burrowing. After reaching you, it leaps upwards, shrieking, though leaving itself vulnerable in the process.

* ''VideoGame/TheSuffering'': The embodiment of death by live burial does this when it chases after you. However, it leaves behind no permanent trail, and when it digs out of the ground to attack you the hole it creates will vanish. However, if you're quick, you can throw a bomb down the hole.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCurseOfDarkness'' has a class of undead that burrow in this manner before leaping out of the ground to strike at you.
* ''VideoGame/{{Dune}}'': The computer games, including ''VideoGame/DuneII''. The first Dune game ups the ante by including static discharge from the sand, meaning the worms are followed by ''bolts of lightning'' -- the worms build up large amounts of static electricity when moving through the sand, and when they start to surface, the electricity discharges into the sky. The interface voice in ''Dune: 2000'' will also call out "Wormsign" and highlight it on the minimap if you have a radar.
%%* ''VideoGame/GameAndWatch'': The moles in ''Vermin''.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'': You do this with the Sand Psynergy, which turns you into a big pulsating mound of sand, free to move around, but incapable of attacking. Played straight with the Scorpion King boss, who [[SandIsWater swims around underground]] leaving a wake, and one Venus Djinni, who will seemingly teleport around while under the sand.
* ''VideoGame/Armageddon2'', a map-pack for Skulltag, has this done by its twin bosses in the "Sand Worm Trench" level. They pop up occasionally from under the sand to breathe fire at you, and spend the rest of the time under the ground, raising one hell of a dust cloud.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': Among others, Blos-type monsters do this. Usually, by the time you see the dust clouds being kicked up, it's a bit too late to react - the real purpose of the dust clouds is to let you figure out exactly what the monster's attack pattern is, so you can avoid it from then on.
* In ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'', Dirge, the "Sand tiger" has this when approaching the player character from a distance.
* ''VideoGame/HeavyWeapon'': The [[SandWorm Mechworm]] boss. If you see sand being thrown up under you, get out of the way or face a OneHitKill from its DigAttack.
%%* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' features this with the boss Amorbis.
%%* ''VideoGame/MiniRobotWars'': The Driller and Mole enemies have this when under the ground.
* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'': Giant worms and other burrowing enemies leave a trail of little bits of dirt flying around as they're digging. They also have a very characteristic sound which can be somewhat unnerving if you can't easily defeat them yet. It does give a good indication of what side they'll be coming from next, though.
* ''VideoGame/SeriousSam 3: BFE'': Sand whales kick up a ton of dust when chasing players that [[BorderPatrol attempt to leave the borders of the more open levels]].
* ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'': Burrowed Zerg units can be spotted by a savvy player by spotting the "wormsign". In a more direct vein, a Nydus worm will produce wormsign in the area where it's about to pop out of the ground.
* ''VideoGame/BattleAxe'' has gigantic SandWorm enemies that can be spotted before they ambush you from beneath the ground, thanks to the lumps they make while digging.
* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'': Threshers create these both when they move and, in the case of Feeler and Turf Threshers, they send their tentacles through the ground to attack.
* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'': You can dig into certain types of ground in some of the jungle stages that have bees, which protects you from the swarm. As you move underground, Crash's position is indicated by a dirt patch moving along the ground.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'': Batman is forced to walk along a floating wooden boardwalk in Killer Croc's lair while Croc moves around somewhere beneath the water. Occasionally some of the rafts that serve as the walkway will be kicked up or outright destroyed behind Batman, forcing the player to outrun Croc as he chases them down from beneath the surface.
* ''VideoGame/DesertMoon'': Hunters give one off when they're under the sand, invulnerable to attacks.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'':
** The wild Pokémon of the Lumiose Badlands leave a trail of dust to mark their location in lieu of RandomEncounters.
** The move Dig shows a trail of raised dirt approaching the target during the attacking turn.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'': The Diglett line and the new {{mon|s}} Orthworm do this when moving in the overworld. During the Path of Legends storyline, the trainer has to chase down a [[{{Sandworm}} giant]] Orthworm that leaves an enormous trail every time it moves.
* ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'': Siege Worms are big enough that, even without confronting them ([[BossInMooksClothing which is a terrible idea most of the time]]), they'll completely wreck any tile improvement with ''just'' their wormsign. A Siege Worm passing through your territory usually means a few turns of extensive repairs even if you leave it alone.
* ''Videogame/PlantsVsZombiesGardenWarfare'': Burrowed Chompers leave a trail in the ground in this fashion if they move around.
%%* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'': The Strykewyrms.
* ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'': Monty Moles leave trails of raised dirt in their wake as they burrow around. They serve as jump ramps you can perform tricks off of.
%%* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'': The mole-like Undergrunt enemies use these, especially the boss, Major Burrows.
* ''VideoGame/{{Cataclysm}}: Dark Days Ahead'': Seeing mounds of dirt can mean one of three things:
## You found a farm. Farm buildings should be nearby.
## You found a minefield. Warning signs should be nearby.
## A giant worm is nearby. Once you kill it, it splits into two weaker worms. Once you're done, you can use the wormsign to plant any seeds you may have.

* ''VideoGame/DeepRockGalactic'': The Sandblasted Corridors are home to the Nayaka Trawler, which burrow and crawl beneath the surface to grab unsuspecting dwarves and drag them away. It announces its presence through loud burrowing sounds and a trail of dirt and rock; shooting at it can force it to the surface and expose its weak underside.
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'': The Legendary Edition gives Thresher Maws this to show players where they'll next surface (in the original release, they just burrowed and resurfaced without warning).

* ''Film/SpaceJam'' has the cartoon character WesternAnimation/BugsBunny create a wormsign bulge in the real world (a special effect) as he and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck approach UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan's home. This includes disturbing pavement stones. Surprisingly, while Bugs continues forward toward the house, a persnickety Daffy creates a branch wormsign that ends up in the AngryGuardDog's doghouse. So, cartoon ducks are {{Tunnel King}}s on par with rabbits. Who'd've guessed?
** Or maybe he just learned how from spending so much time with Bugs.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Sometimes when the bulette is burrowing just below the surface its crest will be raised and be visible to anyone nearby, thus giving it the nickname "landshark".

[[caption-width-right:350:[[WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque "Well, here we are! Pismo Beach and all the clams we can eat!" he said as he emerged in the middle of a cave]].]]

* ''Film/{{Dune|2021}}'' (2021): Sands worms can be spotted at the distance with all the sand that's moved as they approach. As they approach the surface, they cause [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_liquefaction soil liquefaction]].

* ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'': The Diglett line and the new {{mon|s}} Orthworm do this when moving in the overwold. During the Path of Legends storyline, the trainer has to chase down a [[{{Sandworm}} giant]] Orthworm that leaves an enormous trail every time it moves.

* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', a giant wormsign appears in the parking lot right before the Underminer's giant DrillTank pops up and he starts ranting.

* Done briefly in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', when Alex digs through the sand to get himself out from under Melman's crate on the beach.

* ''Videogame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'': Siege Worms are big enough that, even without confronting them ([[BossInMooksClothing which is a terrible idea most of the time]]), they'll completely wreck any tile improvement with ''just'' their wormsign. A Siege Worm passing through your territory usually means a few turns of extensive repairs even if you leave it alone.

* ''VideoGame/{{Dune}}'': The computer games, including ''VideoGame/DuneII''. The first Dune game ups the ante by including static discharge from the sand, meaning the worms are followed by ''bolts of lightning'' -- the worms build up large amounts of static electricity when moving through the sand, and when they start to surface, the electricity discharges into the sky.

** Zaganaga in ''A Link Between Worlds'' creates a sand whirlpool before popping up.
** The Molduga mini bosses in ''Breath of the Wild'' have one to warn you of their location.

* ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}'' does this when Franchise/{{Godzilla}} arrives from the ocean. The pier splits most satisfyingly.
* ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'':

* ''Film/SpaceJam'' has the cartoon character Bugs Bunny create a wormsign bulge in the real world (a special effect) as he and Daffy Duck approach Michael Jordan's home. This includes disturbing pavement stones. Surprisingly, while Bugs continues forward toward the house, a persnickety Daffy creates a branch wormsign that ends up in the AngryGuardDog's doghouse. So, cartoon ducks are {{Tunnel King}}s on par with rabbits. Who'd've guessed?

* WesternAnimation/BugsBunny leaves trails as he digs; several episodes follow his trail for a bit before he emerges...often to realize that he should've taken that [[WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque left turn at Albecoikey]]. Also in later shorts, he would bring a reluctant Daffy along for the ride.

** Godzilla creates a massive swell in the water as he swims, with his dorsal spines protruding from the top. Taken UpToEleven when the act of landfall is preceded by a tsunami.

Sometimes the effect will be the ground bulging up as if something has been forced through it, while other times it will be subsidence, as if the monster has actually ''consumed'' the earth, undermining the ground above it.[[note]]Which of course raises the question of [[NoConservationofMass where all those tons of earth went]]...[[/note]]

* Some insects, and other small critters like moles and sidewinders, can hold their breath and "swim" under the surface of soft sand for a short time.

* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'': You can do this in certain types of ground. This protects you from the bees that often swarm about said levels while you pick them off.

* The Krayt Dragon in ''Series/{{TheMandalorian}}''.

* ''Film/{{Dune|2021}}'' (2021): Sands worms can be spotted at the distance with all the sand that's moved as they approach.

* ''Film/Dune1984 '': (The TropeNamer being the book on which it is based.) A SandWorm makes the pretty distinct wormsign shape underground. For an added effect, we also see lightning-like effects. Presumably, the motion of the giant creature (and more importantly tons of sand) ionizes the air.

* WesternAnimation/BugsBunny leaves trails as he digs; several episodes follow his trail for a bit before he emerges...often to realize that he should've taken that [[WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque left turn at Albecoikey]].