Couple thoughts:
1) I could be wrong, but that looks to me like hair. I've never seen an alligator with hairy ankles. If it is just frayed hide, then you could well be right because the bone structure looks fairly similar.
2) You've claimed Disotell is a BF community supporter. I see quite the opposite. He's a snarky, cynical, scoffer. Considering his comments in interviews, if he's a friend of the community, we don't need enemies. Put it this way: I'd pick a lab at random before I'd send him anything to test.
MIB