Succulents, specifically cacti, are the stereotypical plant people think of when pondering the desert biome. Very few examples of vegetation conserve water with the efficiency of succulents. They maintain water by having tiny spines in place of leaves and photosynthesis occurs in their green stems. Cactus tissue stores water absorbed during infrequent rain spells to use in times of drought. Cholla cacti are succulents commonly found in the American Southwest. They have multiple joints covered in short spines. Cacti also include taller trees, such as the saguaro cactus, which can soar to 15 to 50 feet.
Vegetation in the desert biome had to develop water conservation tactics to survive the arid climate and extreme temperatures. Most plants are low to the ground and are covered with a thick cuticle that prevents water-loss. Some desert plants are classified as annuals and start and finish their life cycle during rainy periods. Most plants in the desert biome are shrubs. Their low profile helps them conserve moisture. Saltbushes are common shrubbery-prevalent in deserts in California. Some trees also thrive, but they usually have very small or spiny leaves. One such tree, the Crucifixion Thorn found in the Sonoran Desert, has only long spines that complete photosynthesis in place of actual leaves.
Reptiles are the most prevalent animal in desert biome because of their resistance to droughts and heat. The desert heat encourages cold-blooded fauna, such as lizards and snakes. They need little precipitation and can eat small rodents and insects, which are plentiful in the desert. Snakes are especially common in desert biomes. Rattlesnakes, frequently found in North American deserts, have jointed rattles at the end of their tails.
Most mammals in the desert biome are small and have adaptations to serve them in arid climates. According to the University of California Museum of Paleontology, desert animals are often nocturnal, active during the cooler night hours. They are often burrowers, such as kangaroo rats and rabbits that can spend the hottest portion of the day hidden from the sun. Because of the high numbers of rodents, predator animals such as birds of prey and gray foxes in the high deserts are successful desert survivors.
