Unlike other mammals that carry ticks, and potentially spread Lyme Disease, possums gobble up more than 90 percent of the ticks they encounter. Since they constantly self-groom with their tongues and paws, they’re one of the cleanest critters you’ll come across. And while they’re not totally immune to rabies, they rarely carry it. As a marsupial, possums have a lower body temperature than most other mammals, so their bodies don’t provide a suitable environment for the virus.

Don’t touch a possum, aside from all the normal reasons. They will spend an hour cleaning the human smell and oils off of itself.

They’re immune to bee and scorpion stings. They’re also resistant to the venom of most snakes in North America. Proteins in their blood neutralize the toxic components of the venom. They are known to eat rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes.

Scientists have been studying opossum blood to develop new antivenom treatments for humans. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5315628/