|
On February 2nd of every year, you may find yourself celebrating Groundhog Day.
This day has become popular because settlers in Pennsylvania brought an unusual tradition with them from Germany in the early 1700’s. The original tradition watched hedgehogs and was an attempt to help predict the end of winter so that they would know when to plant crops. Since hedgehogs could not be found in Pennsylvania, farmers watched groundhogs.
While Punxsutawney Phil is a good weather indicator for the East Coast, Mojave Max is a better weather indicator for the West Coast.
When the weather in Southern Nevada begins to get cold, approximately October or November of each year, Mojave Desert tortoises like Mojave Max go into their burrows for a long state of sleep called brumation.
They sleep for five or six months. And then, when the weather begins to get warmer, and the days longer, desert tortoises slowly begin to warm up and stir in their burrows.
They may stir for several weeks and even poke their heads out a bit to test the conditions before coming out all the way. Upon emerging from brumation, desert tortoises move very slowly, and often wait a few days before eating. But when their bodies do warm up and their taste buds awaken, you can bet they are very hungry and very thirsty. Desert plants, cactus, and grasses are among their favorite foods.
Now, these quiet signs of spring might go relatively unnoticed. But flowers blooming, reptiles emerging, and mammals becoming more active area all signs of spring-like weather here in Southern Nevada. Therefore, February 2nd is a great day for Southern Nevadans to celebrate the changing environmental conditions with Mojave Max.
Mojave Max is a live tortoise residing at the Red Rock National Conservation Area Visitor’s Center. Like Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, Mojave Max’s emergence is a good indicator of when spring will arrive here in Southern Nevada.
Clark County also hosts the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest. This contest encourages students of Clark County to predict when they think Mojave Max will first emerge from brumation each year.
Weather is a very important component of the Mojave Max Emergence Contest. Temperature, daylight, and an internal clock are three critical factors that help determine when Mojave Max will first exit his burrow each year.
The winner of the contest and his or her class will receive medals, t-shirts, family park passes, and a trip to Red Rock National Conservation Area.
Everyone is invited to log onto www.mojavemax.com or www.accessclarkcounty.com for more information on the Mojave Max Program.
### |