Elementary school children (and even some adults) across the United States look forward to Punxsutawney Phil and his predictions for spring. But did you know we have our own animal celebrity in Southern Nevada who does the same thing? We do! His name is Mojave Max and local schoolchildren can participate in a contest to guess when the beloved desert tortoise will make his first appearance of the year.
The Emergence Contest is available to all students from Kindergarten to Grade 5, who is enrolled in public, private, or registered home schools. You can enter HERE. Teachers are encouraged to enter their students’ guesses as well. The student who guesses as closely as possible to the correct day, hour, and minute, without going over, that Mojave Max will emerge from his burrow wins all sorts of cool prizes! The student with the closest guess receives a laptop, a yearlong Springs Preserve family membership, a yearlong pass to Federal Recreation areas and National Parks. They also win a class pizza party and prizes for their class and school and the teacher wins a laptop, as well! Only one entry is allowed per student, per year. For all the rules and guidelines, click HERE.
Every fall, Mojave Max enters brumation (not to be confused with hibernation). He burrows deep into his habitat, typically for four to five months. Desert tortoises spend up to 95% of their time underground, where they can better regulate their body temperatures in the cold winter and hot summer. They are very active in the spring, seeking food. They get their water intake from the grasses and flowers they eat and rely on this water by conserving it for the hot summer months.
The earliest Mojave Max has come out of his burrow is February 14, 2005. The latest he emerged was April 17, 2012. You can see all his emergence history HERE.
For more information about the Mojave Max program, you can visit the Clark County Department of Conservation’s Mojave Max website HERE or to learn more about the Springs Preserve click HERE. Mojave Max even has Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts with lots of interesting photographs, videos and information about desert tortoises and the conservation program to protect them!
