COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) caused by SARS-CoV-2 ( severe acute respiratory syndrome- coronavirus 2) began to spread globally in 2020. Although all countries took extensive measures to fight the epidemic, it still caused a global pandemic and posed serious international public health concerns. At present, the source and intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2 are not yet known, but vaccine research and development in our country are in a leading position globally, and a variety of effective vaccines have been obtained. Appropriate experimental animal models are of great significance to basic research and drug development for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID- 19. This article summarized the infection and pathological characteristics of various SARS-CoV-2-susceptible animal models developed since the outbreak of the epidemic and analyzed the potential applications of different experimental animals. It aimed to provide a reference for selecting appropriate experimental animals for the development of novel COVID-19 vaccines and drugs.