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Mojave Max emerges, signaling arrival of spring in the valley
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Courtesy Photo
The desert tortoise Mojave Max emerges from his den at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center in Las Vegas in this undated courtesy file.
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Mojave Max, the desert tortoise, crawls across the terrain outside Red Rock Canyon's visitor center shortly after he emerged from his burrow. Courtesy Photo
Updated: Mar. 30, 2011 | 7:37 a.m.
With dirt on top of his shell symbolic of his long winter slumber, Mojave Max emerged at 2:03 p.m. Tuesday from his burrow at Red Rock Canyon in speedy desert tortoise fashion.
The federally protected, threatened reptile marked spring's arrival in Southern Nevada exactly 19 hours and 20 minutes ahead of last year's pace yet 10 days after the first official day of spring.
Like Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog who pops from his burrow each year on Feb. 2 to predict whether there will be an early spring, Mojave Max makes his annual emergence when he thinks warm weather is here to stay.
It wasn't the earliest he has been seen. That was Feb. 14, 2005. Nor was it the latest: April 14, 2008.
But like in the past 11 years of the Mojave Max Emergence Contest, officials from Clark County, the Bureau of Land Management and affiliate groups will select the 12th student winner who guessed the closest date and time for his appearance by studying local weather, temperatures and conditions.
"The entries are being tabulated," said Tuesday's news release from Clark County's Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management. The prizes include a laptop computer, an annual parks pass and a field trip to Mojave Max's habitat for the winning student's class.
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Why are you announcing this?
For somebody who hates Glenn Beck you sure do listen to him a lot.
Max would be Becks best friend,he never talks back'
Does Max's emergence fit-in with any of Glenn Beck's doomsday predictions?
I think Puxatony Phil would take Mojave Max in a fair fight.
Bravo! Time to change the filters in the air conditioner and get ready for the 100s comming fast... PS: Great photo....
Upon learning that Harry Reid had been re-elected last November, Mojave Max withdrew into his shell and could be heard vomiting violently.
He emerged on Tuesday?? Can you ask the lovely govt. employees that were pointing him out on Sunday why they waited to report it?
Mojave Max looks like a republican probally as exciting as one,
lol
I bet he is smarter though
rip max