horsefield tortoise

Question
Hi i have recenly been given  a horsefield totoise and it still has caps on its eyes,what can you sugest to help remove them please

Answer
Hi Lisa

I'm so very glad you asked before attempting removal because tortoises do not have eye caps!! All snakes and some lizards have eye caps otherwise known as spectacles but not tortoises.

I believe what you may be seeing in the eyes is the third eyelid (not to be confused with the third eye, a rudimentary eye that some lizards have on top of their head). The third eyelid is also called the nictitating membrane and a large number of animals including birds have them. I'm quite sure that most, if not all Chelonia (the large scientific group that includes tortoises) have third eyelids. It is a thin membrane that slides up from under the eyelid and over the eye for added protection.
When it remains in view and does not retract it often means there is some type of infection present either in the eyes or upper respiratory system.
It can also be caused by vitamin A deficiency which is not common with tortoises provided they are being fed their proper diet of greens and vegetables.
Being kept too dry can also lead to this problem. Although Horsfields live in dry areas they spend alot of time in burrows with a more humid micro-climate. Providing a humid hide which is a plastic container with a slightly damp substrate inside will mimic a humid burrow.

Since this tortoise is a recent acquisition you may not know its previous diet or housing history. Being housed on particularly dusty substrate or cedar can also irritate the eyes.
Try simply flushing the eyes with saline (for contact lens wearers), cooled, weak tea can also be used. The tannins in tea make it slightly acidic which acts as an antibacterial. The tea method was recommended by my mother's vet when her cockatiel developed third eye-lid inflammation.
If you don't see some improvment in a couple days I would recommend a vet visit due to the potential for this to  be caused by something more serious like pneumonia.

This link has photos of animals with visible third eyelids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nictitating_membrane

This link is an excellent care site for Horsfields, also known as Russian tortoises

http://russiantortoise.org/