Tiny snake native to Illinois prairies facing new potential hurdles in Chicago region and beyond

Smooth greensnakes — a tiny, non-venomous reptile native to Illinois and Midwestern prairies — were already known to be in trouble in the Chicago region and beyond, with their numbers believed to be way down as habitats shrink amid development and other human activities.But a recent study by a scientist with the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum found other local threats to the snakes that could further impact their survival and health in the area and elsewhere:Toxins derived from polluted soil are...