Growing up I went possum hunting with my grandpa. The possums spit and 'sulled' and sat perfectly still while the dogs went berserk all around them. They were ferocious if the dogs came too close, but I don't believe they carry rabies. No one killed possums because they were not good to eat and their coats were worthless, but they were fun to hunt and great practice for the coon dogs.
And they are cute mothers. They carry their young hanging upside down from their tail.

Here's a couple of lines from a song sung by a possum in one of my children's plays:

The world is really awesome
When you're a happy possum
Looking at the world upside down
The day is always balmy
When you're hanging with your mommy
from her tail upside down

There's more, but...

And my Daddy always taught me to make a good deal by "Playing Possum" if I knew something better revealed later in a negotiation.

As you can see, I am bi-polar in my feelings toward possums.
smile