And it makes sense if you are using Mars as the planet, because we can see it and it basically is in fact like that. But it being like that is because its a desolate wasteland that is inhospitable to any real life, with no ability for life to spring forth and then progress to a point where it remotely reaches sentience under such harsh conditions. Which limits basically all uses of it to interplanetary settlers instead of actual aliens, and if they aren't humans fleeing a dead Earth begs the question of why stop in the shithole planet when the pretty fucking good one is just a hop away.

But a planet with thriving life will have all the correct positions in a solar system and the planetary movements to have at least a handful of biomes relating to their own poles and equator that would diversify them beyond just the Jungle or Frozen planet. Which also precludes any of the justifications like "they are from a desert planet, so Mars is actually perfect for them!" as literally any species would have left the desert portion of their planet for the much less harsh other biome, leaving only the retarded versions behind in the sand (insert Africa racism joke here).