How are opposums protected?

The opposum is a great actor. They put up an award winning bluff. Having 50 teeth they open their mouth very wide and hiss at the threat first. This is enough to make most attackers stop and think and perhaps even leave. Next they stumble around and fall over pretending to be dead. It is believed this is an automatic reaction to the stress. Then they can even emitt an evil smelling substance around the neck that makes them smell dead and sick. As far a protection from snakes they are amune to cottonmouth, rattle shake, and copperhead poisions. .. they also eat snakes along with about anything.. loving fruit, bugs, snales, mice, whatever.