The Living Desert’s tortoise guessing contest begins
For the 11th year in a row, locals will have the chance to predict when a certain local sluggish reptile emerges from hibernation.
The ‘Mojave Maxine Emergence Contest’ is a straightforward one; students in grades K-12 from the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, Kern, Inyo and Ventura use an online form to predict when the Living Desert’s famed desert tortoise emerges from her Spring brumation.
“In addition to being a fun contest that engages school children, Mojave Maxine is a wonderful ambassador for The Living Desert,” Dr. James Danoff-Burg, the zoo’s director of conservation. said last year. “The Desert Tortoise population is threatened, so she serves as a reminder to conserve and protect our land and desert animals.”
Maxine’s hibernation wrapped last year on January 31, 12:28 p.m. In 2017 Maxine emerged at 12:06 p.m. on February 7 and the year before that, the famous shell-haver came out on February 8 at 11:56 a.m.
The enormous reptile’s emergence from her burrow marks the beginning of spring in the valley, not unlike a certain groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Over 1,800 students participated in the competition last year.
Last year, the winner from each county won $50 gift certificate, a Federal Lands Pass, a visit from a desert tortoise, Mojave Maxine T-shirts for his or her entire class and a $100 gift certificate for the student’s teacher.
