Mojave Max contest for Clark County students underway

This weekend marks the return of an annual tradition surrounding Southern Nevada’s most famous tortoise.

On Saturday, “Mojave Max Watch” begins at the Springs Preserve, according to a release from Clark County. Mojave Max, the desert tortoise that resides in the Springs Preserve, entered his burrow in the fall when temperatures dropped.

Clark County students in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to predict when Max will wake from his slumber and exit his burrow, signaling the unofficial start of spring at the preserve. Students can enter the Mojave Max Emergence Contest — which has been held annually since 2000 — at mojavemax.com.

The student who guesses closest to the time of Max’s emergence will win a yearlong family pass to the Springs Preserve, a laptop, a backpack filled with outdoor gear, a laptop for his or her teacher, T-shirts and medals for the winning class, a trophy for their school, a pizza party and a field trip to the Springs Preserve to meet Mojave Max, according to the release.

Last year, Max emerged at 11:11 a.m. March 23. The earliest Max has shown his face was in 2005, when he emerged on Feb. 14. The latest was on April 17, 2012.

Contact Lukas Eggen at leggen@reviewjournal.com or 72-383-0279. Follow @LukasEggen on Twitter.