With advances in genetic and imaging techniques, investigating axon regeneration after spinal cord injury in vivo is becoming more common in the literature. However, there are many issues to consider when using animal models of axon regeneration, including species, strains and injury models. No single particular model suits all types of experiments and each hypothesis being tested requires careful selection of the appropriate animal model. in this review, we describe several commonly-used animal models of axon regeneration in the spinal cord and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.