From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisha (very/completely/entirely) different animala (very/completely/entirely) different animalinformalDIFFERENT something that is very different from the thing you have mentioned Writing email is a very different animal from all other forms of writing. → animal
Examples from the Corpus
a (very/completely/entirely) different animal• But as I take my very first step on to the ground she becomes a very different animal.• Each dancer had to assume the actions of a different animal.• I was a Territorial, a very different animal.• My second example, although involving a very different animal, raises the same kind of questions.• So in Utah now, Rivendell is really a different animal.• You should repeat each test at least ten times using a different animal of the same kind for each test. 