I just saw this, so sorry for the late reply.
I believe most tanning chemicals and standard methods will work for alligator skin. I've never worked with alligator, unfortunately, so I can't speak from experience..
From what I'm seeing online.
Fleshing is normal.
There is usually a liming step to remove the scales, probably similarly to how lime will help remove hair during the production of hair-off leather.
And a re-acidifying step after liming and before pickling. Alum would work, or any standard pickling acid:
Saftee or another name brand blend, citric, acetic(vinegar), battery acid(sulfuric), anything really.
Degreasing usually happens after a pickle and before the tan. (Unless you are using alum where the pickle IS the preservative)
I like my syntans so I'd probably go with one of those after pickling.
I imagine you would use whatever method you are most comfortable with.
You can leave the scales on but the leather will dry more stiff.
Epidermal slip with a gator hide would involve losing scales, right?
Usually, I mostly use a pickle to kill bacteria and prevent slip with fur-on skins.
Slip wouldn't really be a problem if you WANT to loose the scales.
So, in that case, the main reason for an acid pickle would be to neutralize the lime, and then plump the skin and get it at the right PH for tanning.
There are probably also less chemically intensive methods of tanning that would work..
__________ Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:01 am __________
One more thought on the pickle. I've seen it mentioned as a way to remove osteoderms.
Wikipedia:
Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates or other structures in the dermal layers of the skin.
And then from:
http://www.alligatorfur.com/alligator/tanning.htm
An alligator hide, which has basically no osteoderms on the belly can finish this(the pickling) step in as little as 1 or 2 days. A caiman hide, which has extremely pronounced osteoderms, may take as long as 45- 60 days.