The spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) is an endangered Mediterranean tortoise that lives in North Africa, Southern Europe and Southwest Asia. In the wake of recent legislation making their keeping as domestic animals illegal, many of these animals have been returned to wildlife recovery centers in Spain. In the present study, a population of such tortoises showing signs of ocular disease and nasal discharge was examined for the presence of Chlamydia spp. Cloacal, conjunctival and/or choanal swabs were collected from 58 animals. Using a real-time PCR specific for the family Chlamydiaceae, 57/58 animals tested positive in at least one sample. While only a few samples proved positive for C. pecorum, sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed a sequence identical to previously published sequences from specimens of German and Polish tortoises. Whole-genome sequences obtained from two conjunctival swab samples, as well as ANIb, TETRA values and a scheme based on 9 taxonomic marker genes revealed that the strain present in the Spanish tortoises represented a new yet non-classified species, with C. pecorum being its closest relative. We propose to designate the new species Candidatus Chlamydia testudinis.

该直齿圆柱thighed龟（陆龟graeca）是一种濒临灭绝的地中海龟，生活在北非，南欧和东南亚。在最近立法禁止将其作为家畜饲养非法之后，许多此类动物已被送回西班牙的野生动植物恢复中心。在本研究中，检查了一群显示眼部疾病和鼻涕症状的陆龟中是否存在衣原体。从58只动物中收集泄殖腔，结膜和/或咽拭子。使用针对衣原体科的实时PCR ，至少有一个样本中有57/58只动物测试为阳性。虽然只有少数样品证明了锥虫为阳性，对16S rRNA基因的测序揭示了与先前发表的来自德国和波兰陆龟标本的序列相同的序列。从两个结膜拭子样品，以及ANIb，TETRA值和根据9个分类学标志物基因的方案获得的全基因组序列的显示，存在于西班牙语龟应变表示的新的但非分类种类，与C. pecorum感其最接近的亲戚。我们建议指定新物种Candidatus Chlamydia testudinis。