Based on the clinical disease-syndrome characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM)，this study aimed to summarize and evaluate existing T2DM animal models，providing a reference for improving the establishment of these models.Methods:By reviewing literature in China and abroad，and following the clinical diagnostic criteria of T2DM from both Western and traditional Chinese medicine（TCM) perspectives，this study analyzed and summarized the modeling methods，mechanisms，and clinical coincidence of various T2DM animal models.Results:The study found that the combination of high-fat and high-sugar feeding to induce insulin resistance（IR)，along with streptozotocin（STZ) injection to cause pancreatic β-cell damage，resulted in a highly clinically relevant，stable，and widely used model.TCM-based animal models often built on this foundation by incorporating TCM theories such as imbalances in diet，exertion，and rest，and by using methods like drug gavage and physical stimulation.Among these，the qi-yin deficiency model showed higher clinical coincidence.Conclusion:Existing T2DM animal models generally exhibit higher clinical coincidence from a Western medicine perspective than from a TCM perspective.It is feasible to use TCM etiology，the reverse application of formulas，and observational diagnostic methods that simulate “observation，auscultation and olfaction，inquiry，and pulse diagnosis” in TCM to identify corresponding animal models.Nonetheless，TCM-based animal models remain limited，with incomplete diagnostic information and a lack of standardized diagnostic criteria.Therefore，there is a need to establish more comprehensive evaluation standards to make animal models more closely aligned with clinical practice，thereby providing a foundation for further research into the pathogenesis，diagnosis，and prevention and treatment of T2DM.