Clark County Desert Conservation Program Presents: 

MOJAVE MAX

Mojave Max is a real tortoise.  He lives at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the tortoise habitat near the visitors center.  In the spring of 2000, the first Mojave Max contest was held.  Students of the Las Vegas Valley were encouraged to estimate the time Mojave Max would first exit his burrow after brumation (hibernation).  This successful event now has thousands of students in the County researching Mojave desert temperatures and desert torotise habits.  This event is significant because it draws attention to the seasons of the Mojave Desert and the responses of desert wildlife.  Many plants and animals have a dormant period each year that is brought on by declining desert temperatures.  Plants and animals of the Mojave Desert must adapt to changing temperatures and erratic rainfall to survive.  More information on the Mojave Max Emergence Contest is available at www.mojavemax.com.