Not sure which 'obvious differences' you are referring to, but water is the most obvious one. It is impossible to pack enough water to sustain you for more than a day or two so you will need to know of water sources where you are going.

Most desert areas get quite cold at night, so you will need warm clothes and sleeping bag.

Cactus are very pesky.

You don't need to hang your food, as there aren't any bears. But you will need to watch out for rattlers.

Wind is not usually your friend, especially when it's blowing sand in your face, your food and your clothing.

Storms bring very fast flash flooding. Stay out of washes.

I'm probably forgetting a few things, but that's all I can come up with for now. Enjoy! If you're going in the spring, the wildflowers should be great this year because of the rain.