Regarding humans, city dwellers are, on average, less husky than their rural neighbors. According to researchers at the University of Sydney, that’s not the case for golden orb-weaving spiders. They found that city-dwelling spiders thrive compared to those found in less-developed areas.

Just like humans, however, urban spiders also enjoy a vibrant “hook up” culture, or are at least more fertile.

“City-dwelling orb-weaving spiders grow larger and could produce more offspring than their country cousins our research shows,” said Elizabeth Lowe, a PhD candidate in the University’s School of Biological Sciences and lead author of a study published in the journal PLOS today.

Golden orb-weaving spiders are common in the Sydney city region, both in urban and natural habitats. Lowe and her team collected samples from both ecosystems, noting each spider’s overall size, fat reserves and ovary weight. Golden orb-weavers don’t grow any larger once they hit adulthood, so that wasn’t a variable provided all specimens were fully grown.

They found that spiders in areas with more vegetation cover (i.e., fewer buildings) tended to be smaller and less fertile based on ovary weight. The city, as it turns out, has two things going for it when it comes to spider comfort: Temperature and prey availability. The lack of shade and abundance of heat-absorbent surfaces tend to make cities warmer, which is associated with growth in invertebrates. As far as prey goes, the increased lights at night are ideal for attracting flying insects.

The study shows how just one species not only adapts, but thrives in the face of urbanization, but Lowe cautions that not all fauna are so successful.

“Our findings show the impact urbanization can have on local wildlife. While many species do not survive encroaching urbanization and the consequent loss of native habitat, others have a more complex relationship with man-made changes to the landscape,” she said.