2009 Mojave Max Emergence Contest Begins

On-line Entry Form Available

Today, the Mojave Max Emergence Contest officially begins.  Students of Clark County can begin entering their guesses for the 2009 Mojave Max Emergence Contest online at www.mojavemax.com.

Mojave Max is a live tortoise. Like Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, Mojave Max’s emergence is a good indicator of spring-like weather in Southern Nevada.  Students are encouraged to study the behavior of desert tortoises before guessing when they think Mojave Max will first exit his burrow. Once Mojave Max emerges from his burrow for the first time in the spring, an official emergence time will be recorded and the Clark County student that guessed closest to the actual time of Mojave Max’s emergence will be the winner of the contest.  The winner will receive medals, t-shirts, family park passes and a pizza party for them self and their entire class.  Their teacher will also receive a personal laptop computer.

Since the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area visitor center is undergoing construction, Mojave Max will be housed at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center until the new desert tortoise habitat at Red Rock is completed.    The Desert Tortoise Conservation Center (DTCC) is a Bureau of Land Management facility located in the southwest area of the Las Vegas Valley that is not open to the public.  Here, Mojave Max has his own habitat and is able to brumate (the reptilian form of hibernation) normally.  The conditions at the DTCC are similar to those at the Red Rock visitor center, with the elevation being about 3,000 feet at the DTCC and 3,800 feet at the visitor center.  This lower elevation may contribute to a slightly earlier emergence.

Weather is a very important component of the Mojave Max Emergence Contest.  Temperature, daylight, and biology are the three critical factors that determine when Mojave Max will first exit his burrow each year.  Mojave Max has emerged as late as April 14, and as early as February 14 in past years. 

Clark County will mark its 100^th birthday in 2009 with year-long activities; the Mojave Max Emergence Contest will mark its 10^th birthday in 2009 with a special activity following the announcement of the 2009 winner.

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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability.  With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 15^th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to more than 2 million citizens and 44 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 7^th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The county also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to almost 900,000 residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development. In 2009, Clark County celebrates a “century of service.”