Question

The defining characteristic of deserts is _______.

a. low rainfall
b. high temperatures
c. lizards
d. cacti

Answer 1

The defining characteristic is A. Low rainfall

Not all deserts have high temperatures. Similarly, not all have lizards or cacti in them. An example of this would be the Gobi Desert which does not have high temperature.

Answer 2

The answer is A. The main characteristic of a desert is its aridity. Most deserts receive an annual precipitation of ten or fewer inches. Temperatures can't be a defining characteristic of deserts because there are deserts with low temperatures such as those in the polar regions (antarctica). In these regions, water is unavailable because it is completely frozen as ice.