69K views · 3.7K reactions | Opal cleaning up after lunch. Possums get a bad rap. People often mistake the open-mouth hissing and drooling behavior of opossums as a sign of rabies. However, this is just a bluffing behavior that opossums use as a defense mechanism. In fact, rabies is extremely rare in opossums, perhaps because they have a much lower body temperature compared to other warm-blooded animals. | Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden | Facebook