The accurate and reliable identification of key national protected terrestrial vertebrate species in China is vital to biodiversity conservation. In this research, 12 environmental variables were used to model the 263 key national protected terrestrial vertebrate species with a random forest model, to predict the probability of occurrence of each species in background points. The habitat suitability index of the key national protected terrestrial vertebrate species was calculated by superimposing the data. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation analysis performed on the habitat suitability index to identify priority conservation areas for these key species, with the protection status of these priority conservation areas analyzed using gap analysis. The results show that priority conservation areas account for 10.90% of China's land area (1031600 km²). These priority conservation areas are distributed primarily in western China, including in the Qinling-Daba mountain area in southwestern China, the Yunnan and India-Burma border region, the Wuling mountain area, the Himalayas-Hengduan mountain area, the Altai mountain area, the Tian Shan mountain area, and the Kunlun mountain area. Some distribution is also found in the Daxing'anling and Xiaoxing'anling mountain areas in northeast China, the northeast-south China coastal areas, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The protected areas found within the priority conservation areas account for 48.86% of the priority conservation areas (504 000 km²). The rate of protection is relatively low, meaning that the priority conservation areas are not sufficiently protected. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, a priority protection order for the unprotected priority conservation areas was presented, to serve as a scientific basis for decision-making for relevant departments and provide better protection of biodiversity in this region