But an adult opossum's body is far too heavy to be held suspended by its tail. The opossum actually uses its tail to stabilize its body while climbing. Opossums are not related to rats. They are marsupials and are exceptionally clean. Like cats, they are fastidious and groom themselves.
Opossums are extremely resistant to disease.
They have a strong resistance to rabies and to snake bites, including rattlesnakes. Opossums are sometimes referred to as the sanitation engineers of the forest. They help to keep the environment clean by consuming carion and all kinds of bugs, including roaches. They help gardeners by consuming snails, slugs, and other destructive creatures. They also eat over ripe fruit before it rots and catch and eat rats.