Max headed for his burrow. It was November 22, 2022. How long would the desert tortoise stay inside? Many students sent guesses. Each tried to predict when Mojave Max would come back. A fifth grader named Edin won!
Mojave Max lives at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve in Nevada. His is the Mojave Desert. When the weather cools, Max goes into his burrow. He begins brumation. That means the tortoise rests. He saves energy. When the weather warms, he comes out. This is like hibernation. But tortoises are reptiles. Reptiles do not hibernate.
Max usually leaves his burrow in March. This year it happened on April 24, 2023, at 3:40 p.m. That was the latest date ever! Nearly 4,600 students sent a guess. Only 23 had the right date. Edin had the closest time (3:14 p.m.).
Tom Bradley works at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. He explained why Mojave Max came out so late. “We had a cooler-than-normal winter,” Bradley said. “The ground didn’t warm up as fast as it usually does,” he added. “So, he decided not to come out earlier.”
Officials visited Edin on May 3. They gave him a new computer. His whole class got medals too. And they will shell-ebrate soon. They’ll have a pizza party with Mojave Max!
Marci Henson works for Clark County, Nevada. “Mojave Max has helped teach thousands of school children about our Mojave Desert,” she said. Henson said the contest helps the community “respect, protect, and enjoy the desert .”
Updated May 4, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
