Sahih al-Bukhari 3310
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 59: Beginning of Creation · The best property of a Muslim will be sheep
Narrated Abu Mulaika:
حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ ، عَنْ أَبِي يُونُسَ الْقُشَيْرِيِّ ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ، كَانَ يَقْتُلُ الْحَيَّاتِ ثُمَّ نَهَى قَالَ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَدَمَ حَائِطًا لَهُ، فَوَجَدَ فِيهِ سِلْخَ حَيَّةٍ فَقَالَ " انْظُرُوا أَيْنَ هُوَ ". فَنَظَرُوا فَقَالَ " اقْتُلُوهُ ". فَكُنْتُ أَقْتُلُهَا لِذَلِكَ. فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا لُبَابَةَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقْتُلُوا الْجِنَّانَ، إِلاَّ كُلَّ أَبْتَرَ ذِي طُفْيَتَيْنِ، فَإِنَّهُ يُسْقِطُ الْوَلَدَ، وَيُذْهِبُ الْبَصَرَ، فَاقْتُلُوهُ " .
Ibn `Umar used to kill snakes, but afterwards he forbade their killing and said, "Once the Prophet (ﷺ) pulled down a wall and saw a cast-off skin of a snake in it. He said, 'Look for the snake. 'They found it and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Kill it." For this reason I used to kill snakes. Later on I met Abu Lubaba who told me the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Do not kill snakes except the short-tailed or mutilated-tailed snake with two white lines on its back, for it causes abortion and makes one blind. So kill it.' "