We analyzed the relationship between species and higher taxa (family and genus) based on terrestrial vertebrates species lists by 19 nature reserves in Guangdong Province. The number of genera and families rise as the species list is increased. There are significant correlations between number of species and higher taxa ( r > 0.8, P < 0.01). The power model can best describe the correlations between species and genus or family best than logarithmic model, exponential model and linear model. The results indicated that the significant relationship between number of species and higher taxa existed in the nature reserve scale. Therefore, the abundance of higher taxa may reflect species diversity.