Depression is a common chronic mental illness. Animal models of depression are widely used to study the pathogenesis of depression as well as in the development of new antidepressant drugs. The consistency and reliability of animal models of depression to simulate human depressive symptoms directly affect the study result.However, at present, no animal models have been found that are completely consistent with the onset of human depression, which hinders the in-depth study of depression. By using scientific and reasonable modeling and evaluation method, the pathological state of depression can still be simulated to a large extent, providing a basis for further in-depth research of the pathogenesis of depression and the development of effective antidepressant drugs. This paper aims to provide a reference for researchers by reviewing several commonly used animal models and behavioral tests of depression.