'Dragon Boogers' Invading California Waterways

STOCKTON (CBS13) — Gooey blobs are invading the San Joaquin Delta, and they're alive.

Pictures have been popping up of the rare gelatinous species in the area. They're commonly called dragon boogers, or moss animals.

Nancy Ballot had one floating in the man-made lake behind her home and figured out what it was, thanks to her biology background.

"Bryozoans are just a loose compilation of cells; they're animal cells," she said.

The extremely tiny colonial animals use tiny tentacles to collect food and grow throughout the summer.

They're commonly found east of the Mississippi River, not in California.

While they may look slightly dangerous, they aren't toxic. But there are concerns the invasive species could disrupt the habitat in the area for other animals.