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The dominant-subordinate hierarchy often needs to be established via agonistic encounters which consequently affects reproduction and survival of the animals.The differences in levels of central neuropeptides and sociality between male and female dominant and subordinate individuals are poorly understood.During an agonistic encounter test,dominant mandarin voles displayed higher levels of approaching,investigating,self-grooming and exploring behaviors than their subordinate counterparts.Dominant females showed higher levels of aggression than dominant males during first agonistic encounter.Dominant males had better habituation to stimulus vole than dominant females.Dominant males displayed significantly less oxytocin-immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nuclei and more vasopressin-immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nuclei,supraoptic nuclei,lateral hypothalamus and anterior hypothalamus than subordinate ones.Accordingly,dominant females just displayed significantly more vasopressin-immunoreactive neurons in the lateral hypothalamus and anterior hypothalamus than their subordinate counterparts.Furthermore,it also appears sex differences on levels of oxytocin and vasopressin in mandarin voles.Our results indicate that distinct parameters of central oxytocin and vasopressin are associated with behaviors during agonistic encounters in a sex-specific manner in mandarin voles.