Lemon frost geckos develop tumors spontaneously, at high frequency and relatively early in life, typically between six months and five years of age. The Color Gene Was Only Part of the AnswerThe lemon frost story did not begin this summer. Finding mutations in genes with human cancer connections establishes overlap, not equivalence. Does this help human cancer patients now? These geckos naturally develop tumors early, allowing researchers to observe the process from its very beginning.