A growing exotic pet trade has conservationists calling for stronger regulations to protect the reptiles, birds and other animals in the wild that are increasingly showing up for sale on internet marketplaces and becoming popular on social media.

The two-week Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is scheduled to run through today in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Several proposals related to the pet trade will be considered.

Participants have proposed tighter regulations or complete bans on the trade of several species including iguanas from the Galápagos Islands, more than a dozen species of Latin America tarantulas and an odd-looking turtle from Africa.

“What we’re seeing is the pet trade much more looking at reptiles, amphibians. People want rare species and they don’t have to go into a pet shop,” said Susan Lieberman, vice president for international policy at the non-profit Wildlife Conservation Society. “They go online and there are thousands of animals, including endangered species, illegally obtained species, all available on the internet.”

A report from the non-profit Center for Biological Diversity, shared with The Associated Press and due to be released Dec. 8, found that the United States was among the biggest markets for the pet trade, importing on average 90 million live amphibians, arachnids, birds, aquarium fish, mammals and reptiles each year.

“Wildlife exploitation, including for the pet trade, is a major driver of the global extinction crisis,” the report said. “One million species are on track to face extinction in coming decades unless action is taken to address species loss. Addressing the United States’ role in the exotic pet trade must be a top priority to stem this crisis and protect biodiversity for future generations.”

In the past, the trade was dominated by sales in animal parts such as elephant ivory and tiger bones, but Matt Collis, the senior director of international policy at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said live animals for the pet trade are increasingly turning up on the internet.

“The dramatic growth in online marketplaces has put consumers directly in touch with wildlife traders and criminals around the world,” Collis said. “In today’s society where pretty much anything can be bought with a click of a button and shipped anywhere in the world in a matter of days, no wildlife is safe.”

Social media influencers are also contributing to the problem, Collis said.