alligators scales peeling?

I bought a 2ft american alligator this week & his scales seem to be peeling especailly on the lower half of his tail. I tried looking it up on the web but got nothing. I know that if a turtle doesn't have the right amount of uvb rays or is always in the water their shells peel & then eventually fall apart(this happened to my nephews turtle). I'm wondering if he just could be shedding because its just the top layer & theirs more scale under it. Any & all input would be appreciated. Thanks.