In the summer, temperatures may soar to over 120 degrees during the days, but will drop as soon as the sun sets. Winters may be cold. The dry desert air and clear skies do not hold onto the heat at night. The heat just radiates out into space. Plants and animals make special adaptations to the desert environment.
Some plants are annuals.
They race the sun to make seeds before the water evaporates and the heat dries them up. Some of these plants are so tiny that the whole plant could be hidden under a dime. Others spread colorful blossoms over the sand and rocks for a few brief days. Some plants develop water-storing strategies. Cacti have chlorophyll in their fleshy stems, and they store the water that they gather in those stems.