Pinus dabeshanensis is listed as a national second-class protected wild plant species. Because of its rarity and narrow distribution, regeneration of its population is difficult. To determine the role of animals in natural population regeneration of P. dabeshanensis and causes of difficulties with natural regeneration of a P. dabeshanensis population, we studied P. dabeshanensis cone and seed traits, seed rain and soil seed banks, seed predation and removal by animals, spatial distribution patterns of seedlings and their relationships with the distribution of rat nests in the Ta-pieh Mountains, Yuexi County, Anhui Province during the period from November to December in the years 2015 and 2016. The results showed that P. dabeshanensis possessed a high rate of seed abortion, and cones grown on a sunny slope were better developed than those grown on a shady slope. We did not find seed rain or soil seed banks during seed maturation. Sixteen species of animals, belonging to 11 families and 6 orders, visited trees and cones. Seven species were identified as seed predators. A ground seed placement experiment showed that more than 95% of the seeds were preyed upon or removed to other places to be preyed upon or stored. The fates of P. dabeshanensis seeds among different placement locations were not significantly different. Apodemus sylvaticus was a good pilferer in our experiment; the seed discovery and storage rate was about 90% on the first night. Two species of rodents, Sciurotamias davidianus and A. sylvaticus, were the main seed predators. At the study site, we found 5 established seedlings in 2015 and 7 established seedlings in 2016. This indicated that there is a natural regeneration in the local area. The seedings mostly established around the seed tree independently, in a random distribution within 0-0.6 m and a clumped distribution at distances over 0.6 m. The natural regeneration pattern of P. dabeshanensis seedlings was affected by the location of A. sylvaticus nests, and the seedings established for the most part near the nests of A. sylvaticus. In summary, A. sylvaticus may be a seed disperser, and P. dabeshanensis seed predation and removal by rodents could affect P. dabeshanensis natural population regeneration.