Mojave Max Emerged from his Burrow at 11:55 a.m. on February 14, 2005.

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Congratulations Josephina Romero , for winning the 2005 Mojave Max Emergence Contest. Josephina guessed that Mojave Max would emerge on February 14th at 9:59 a.m.

Mojave Max is a live desert tortoise residing at the Red Rock National Conservation Area. Like other Mojave Desert desert tortoises, he enters a burrow to brumate (the reptilian form of hibernation) every winter and emerges every spring. Warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours, and an internal clock are factors known to contribute to his emergence every year. Mojave Max's habitat area received 4.18 inches of rain so far this year.

“The warm January and plentiful rainfall have definitely contributed to Mojave Max's early emergence this year,” said Christina Gibson, spokeswoman for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program. “His emergence on February 14 this year is the earliest emergence we've seen.”

Mojave Max's emergence marks the beginning of spring weather in Southern Nevada . While the weather forecasts for the next week contain predictions of rain, according to Mojave Max, residents of the Las Vegas area will soon be enjoying sunshine and warm weather.

As part of the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest, students study Mojave Desert weather, temperatures, and conditions to scientifically estimate when they believed Mojave Max will first emerge from his burrow . They enter their guesses on line at www.mojavemax.com. The entries are tabulated and the official winner will be announced. The winning student will receive a variety of prizes including a Golden Eagle Park Pass and a Playstation 2. The winner's entire class will receive a field trip to Mojave Max's habitat, Mojave Max Olympic style medals, t-shirts, and passes to a theme park.

"Mojave Max helps promote students' understanding of the desert we live in,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, “and he promotes environmental awareness throughout the Las Vegas Valley ."

Above is a photo of Josephina with Mojave Max, her teacher Mrs. Buchanan and Commissioner Collins .