Few biology books seem to know much about the hippopotamus. Sure, they can give you the Latin name (Hippopotamus amphibious) and tell you that they are found in Africa, but they fail miserably at reporting the eating habits, claiming that they are primarily herbivores. But just quiz any youngster from the past few decades and they can give you the straight dope; given a choice, hippos overwhelmingly prefer a diet of white plastic marbles. Need proof? Just observe them during a typical feeding frenzy in the beloved children’s game, Hungry Hungry Hippos.

Introduced in 1978 by Milton Bradley, Hungry Hungry Hippos isn’t a game for the timid. Four brightly colored (pink, yellow, green and orange) and obviously famished plastic hippos surround the playing area, eagerly waiting for their human handlers to release a row of marbles - thanks to a handy lever available to each player. Once these little delicacies roll into the playing area – utter chaos ensues.

When a lever in the hippo’s tail is pushed, each hippo juts forward, jaws open and ready to snatch their share of the marble motherlode from the rest of the herd. The faster each player pushes the lever, the more plentiful the bounty and the better chance of emerging victorious, having helped their hippo masticate the most marbles.

Forget strategy - Hungry Hungry Hippos is all about quick hands and perseverance and its charm and simplicity have kept it a favorite among kids and adults alike for almost three decades. It would appear that, as long as little white marbles continue to roll forth, there will always be a herd of gluttonous hippos ready to pounce on their prey and satiate their appetite – a fact that zoologists seem loathe to admit but that any child who has ever handled a Hungry Hungry Hippos can readily attest.