Abstract: Zoogeographical divisions are shaped by species distribution patterns and ecological factors, in which regions delineate areas of faunal similarity and boundaries mark transitions in species composition. However, the zoogeographical division of China has not been assessed using shared-species similarity among multiple basic geographic units and the ecological factors shaping the zoogeographical regions and their boundaries of China remain unclear. Herein, using the multivariate similarity clustering analysis method, we delineated the zoogeographical areas of China based on the distribution data of terrestrial vertebrate species. Then, we assessed the effects of ecological factors on zoogeographical subrealms, regions, and their boundaries by adopting generalized linear models and hierarchical generalized linear models. The results showed that the zoogeographical patterns of China comprised two realms, three subrealms, and eight regions. Contemporary climate, past climate change, vegetation, and terrain influenced the formation of subrealms, while contemporary climate, past climate change, vegetation, terrain, and tectonic movements influenced the formation of regions. Moreover, contemporary climate, past climate change, and tectonic movements shaped intersubrealm boundaries, while contemporary temperature seasonality governed interregion boundaries. Our findings provide a comprehensive quantitative analysis of zoogeographical patterns in China, offer a useful analytical framework for research on biogeographical divisions, and provide insights into the ecological drivers of biogeographical divisions across different spatial scales and biotic groups.

Key words: China, ecological factor, multivariate similarity clustering analysis, terrestrial vertebrates, zoogeographical division