The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae. It is larger than the other extant alligator species, the Chinese alligator. The American alligator inhabits wetlands that frequently overlap with human-populated areas. The American alligator has a large, slightly rounded body, with thick limbs, a broad head, and a very powerful tail. Adult Alligators generally have a green, olive, brown, gray or nearly black color with a creamy white underside. Algae-laden waters produce greener skin, while tannic acid from overhanging trees can often produce darker skin. Juvenile alligators have a striped pattern for camouflage that they lose as they mature. Adult male alligators are typically 11.2 to 14.5 ft (3.4 to 4.4 m) in length, though rarely exceeding 14 ft (4.3 m), while adult females average 8.2 to 9.8 ft (2.5 to 3.0 m). Average body weights are reported from 270 to 800 lb (120 to 360 kg), with the larger old males exceeding 1,000 pounds (450 kg). One American Alligator reportedly reached a length of 19 feet 2 inches (5.84 m) and 2,200 lb (1,000 kg), which would make it not only the largest alligator ever recorded, but also among the largest crocodilians on record (although prehistoric crocodilians such as Sarcosuchus, Deinosuchus, and Purussaurus reached much greater sizes). However, since it was caught in the early 1900s, it is impossible to verify that claim. The tail, which accounts for half of the alligator's total length, is primarily used for aquatic propulsion. The tail can also be used as a weapon of defense when an alligator feels threatened. Alligators travel very quickly in water and while they are generally slow-moving on land, alligators can lunge short distances very quickly. They have five claws on each front foot and four on each rear foot. American Alligators have the strongest laboratory measured bite of any living animal, measured at up to 9,452 newtons (2,125 lbf) in laboratory conditions. It should be noted that this experiment has not (at the time of the paper published) been replicated in any other crocodilians. Some alligators are missing an inhibited gene for melanin, which makes them albino. These alligators are extremely rare and almost impossible to find in the wild. They could survive only in captivity. Like all albino animals, they are very vulnerable to the sun and predators. American Alligators can remain underwater for several hours if not actively swimming or hunting (then it is only about 20 minutes); they do this by rerouting blood to reduce circulation to the lungs, and thus the need for oxygen. American alligators are mostly found in the Southeastern United States, from Great Dismal Swamp in North Carolina south to Everglades National Park in Florida and west to the southern tip of Texas. They are found in the U.S. states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. Florida and Louisiana currently have the largest population of alligators. Florida has an estimated population of 1 to 1.5 million while Louisiana has an estimated population of 1.5 million Although primarily freshwater animals, alligators will occasionally venture into brackish water. Alligators live in wetlands and this is the vital habitat that holds the key to their continued long-term survival. Alligators depend on the wetlands, and in some ways the wetlands depend on them. As apex predators, they help control the population of rodents and other animals that might overtax the marshland vegetation. American alligators are less susceptible to cold than American Crocodiles. Unlike the American Crocodile, which would quickly succumb to the cold and drown in water of 45 °F (7.2 °C), an alligator can survive in such temperatures for some time without apparent discomfort. It is thought that this adaptiveness is the reason why American alligators spread farther north than the American Crocodile. In fact, the American alligator is found farther from the equator and is more equipped to deal with cooler conditions than any other crocodilian. In Florida, alligators face ambient temperature patterns unlike elsewhere in their range. The consistently high temperatures lead to increased metabolic cost. Alligators in the Everglades have reduced length to weight ratio, reduced total length, and delayed onset of sexual maturity compared with other parts of their range. The reason for this poor condition is currently suspected to be a combination of low food availability and sustained high temperatures. Alligators eat fish, birds, turtles, snakes, mammals, and amphibians. Hatchlings diet on invertebrates, insects, larvae, snails, spiders, worms, and other small prey. They will also eat small fish at any opportunity. As they grow, they

Here's another hot travel tip for pros: Don't go to the Louvre. If you must go, don't go at the end of a long, hot, busy day. You will hate every minute of it. Don't get me wrong, it's kinda cool that there's tons of great art in one building, but the number of masterpieces on display is equal or lesser than plenty of other less famous (and hence less swamped) museums. This one doesn't do itself any favors architecturally: the huge, long, tall galleries are well-suited for the throughput of human bodies, but not so good for standing and looking at a painting without being jostled, cut off, or pocket-picked. The decision to put arrowed signs up everywhere directing people to the most famous items doesn't help - it's sort of like "SEE ROCK CITY" signs on barn roofs. On the plus side, you presumably get people through and out the museum that just want to say they saw the officially great works of art. "Mona Lisa?" "Check. What's next?" "Winged victory of Samothrace...I see a sign!" However, this just intensifies the shuffling movement of the clamoring nomadic horde. It's loud, the air is thick and warm, the place is a maze, and the garish I.M. Pei addition (basically a subterranean shopping mall with glass pyramid to get on magazine covers) does not help things one bit. Don't go.