Dry, Peeling Skin

by myia
(mesa az)

I have one juvenile Desert Tortoise and one hatchling desert tortoise. The juvenile is just a few months under a year old and the hatchling is about half his age. Both are from the same parents. Willie(the juvenile) was found walking on the road and was almost hit by a car before we aquired him. Susie Q(the hatchling) was almost the same scenario. Their owners have two desert tortoises, male and female, and take care of their tortoises, but since the tortoises are allowed to be together, babies are produced all the time. The owners, I'm guessing, got tired of babies and let them roam free and escape through a hole in the fence. Four of those babies were found, two given to me. We have no idea how long they were out there for. It was colder weather at the time.

Anyways, now that you have information about them, they both have dry, flaky skin peeling off of their neck and legs. I have been soaking them, and just recently found out to stop doing that due to respiratory infections.They have a drinking bowl available in their cage at all times and lots of running space. They are living outside in an open-bottom hutch that is very large-I used to have two guinea pigs in there. They don't have grass for grazing or plants, but I do feed them red and green leaf lettuce, however as of today I am getting them on a better diet filled with kale, parsley, collard greens, mustard greens, and have been looking for prickley pear cactus pads at the store. They are very active and alert, and their skin doesn't seem to be agitating them at all.

So finally, my question is: Why do they have dry, flaky, peeling skin, and should I be worried or do anything about it?

Sorry this was so long-I find the more information you have the better answer you will have :)