How long could life survive The Night?

The Problem

In a world I am building, the days are 9 years long, this means 4 and half years of cold darkness following 4 and a half years of blistering daylight. I have asked questions on this Year long Day world before, but now I have a new thought on the night side.

In an environment with little light (the planet has a ring) and heat (there are active volcanoes), could life exist? The previous assumptions on this topic were divided between two schools of thought:

1. Certain lifeforms on the day half would lay eggs that would remain insulated throughout the night and hatch when day arrives and that creatures would evolve ways to survive the night so that they could eat these eggs.
2. Life would be unable to survive without sources of light and little plants for producers.

This wouldn't be a problem if not for the fact that there are good arguments for both sides.

The Question(s)

1. Could animals evolve to live in such a harsh environment in the same way that in could on the day side?
2. If animals could exist on the night side, how would they survive, with the lack of vegetation, light and heat?
3. If an animal from the day side were to get caught in the night, could it survive and for how long?

posted over 7 years ago

Uncle Tres‭

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