MOJAVE MAX EMERGES ON MAY 10, 2026, at 12:50 p.m.

Mojave Max, Southern Nevada’s famous desert tortoise and weather prognosticator, officially emerged from his burrow on May 10, 2026, at 12:50 p.m., breaking his previous record for his latest emergence, which was May 8, 2026, at 2:09 p.m. The earliest date he has emerged was Feb. 14, 2005, at 11:55 a.m. Mojave Max is the mascot for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program and is a live desert tortoise who calls the Las Vegas Springs Preserve his home. Like other Southern Nevada reptiles, he enters a burrow to brumate (the reptilian form of hibernation) every winter and emerges every spring. Mojave Max’s emergence typically marks the beginning of spring-like weather in Southern Nevada. Warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours and his own internal clock are factors known to contribute to his emergence every year. The recent extreme fluctuation in temperatures, rain and wind contributed to Mojave Max’s late emergence this year. Because of these things, and the fact that he was sharing a burrow with three other tortoises who entered brumation after he did, once again Mojave Max set a new emergence record. More than 3,500 elementary school students entered their guess in the Mojave Max Emergence Contest this year.