Biliary atresia (BA) is an important indication for liver transplantation during the neonatal period. With the improvement in diagnostic techniques in recent years, the diagnosis rate for BA is increasing continuously. However, the specific etiology and pathogenesis of BA remains unclear. Related knowledge and research models for BA are still relatively limited in China. At present, the BA models are divided mainly into three categories: drug or poison- induced, mechanical biliary tract ligation and rotavirus-induced. Among them, the drug-poison-induced BA model is selective to the bile duct, and there are still many unsolved problems. Although the method of biliary ligation causes bile duct atresia, it is inconsistent with the onset age of BA in the real world. The rotavirus-induced bile duct atresia model is widely accepted and is the main research model at present; however, all of the animals die before the formation of liver fibrosis, and this model does not fully reflect the disease progression process of BA. The rotavirus gene recombination method may result in liver fibrosis and is a promising model because the survival time of the animals is relatively long, and the model more closely relates to the actual pathological process. In general, BA still lacks an ideal animal model that fully conforms to clinical practice and reflects the development of clinical disease.